The Rio 2016 Olympics officially became Team GB’s best ever away Games on day eleven after they won their 50th medal - surpassing the previous best of 47 at Beijing 2008.
But as the British team celebrated there was also disappointment. In athletics a failed attempt in high jump cost former Loughborough College student and 2012 Olympics bronze winner Robbie Grabarz a medal in Rio and in the water fellow students Angela Hannah, in the canoe sprint final and European silver medallist Jack Burnell, who was cruelly denied a medal on his Olympic debut.
In the Men’s Final Robbie Grabarz jumped a season’s best 2.33m in the final but finished fourth on countback after a miss at 2.25m.
Grabarz cleared 2.33m at his first attempt in the final, matching the effort of Ukrainian bronze medallist Bohdan Bondarenko.
But having failed his first attempt at 2.25m earlier in the competition, the Brit was demoted to fourth behind Bondarenko, who didn’t miss until after his successful 2.33m jump.
“It was my own mistake at 2.25m and that’s cost me a medal. It’s a pretty upsetting and a frustrating place to be but Olympic fourth is still something to be pretty damn proud of,” said Grbarz.
“It was distracting [arguing a clear jump after a white flag was raised for his attempt at 2.33m before the bar eventually fell] but you come prepared for any eventuality.
“You have to know the rules and you have to argue the rules sometimes and that’s what I did there. Then I just had to regroup and go to the next bar. I’m really happy and I’m really proud of it. Being that close to a medal is what’s really frustrating.
“If someone said even six weeks ago that you’re going to come fourth I’d have been really chuffed. But in the heat of the moment when it is that close you are absolutely gutted.”
Elsewhere Angela Hannah and Lani Belcher were seventh in the B final of the women’s K2 500m.
“I feel disappointed; I guess for some people at these Games it has been a great turnaround unfortunately it just hasn’t been a great regatta for us,” said Hannah.
“It is disappointing because we just know how some of our training has been and we knew what we were wanting to produce out there and it just didn’t happen.
“We will be here to support the rest of the team. I really hope they get want they want, everyone has been 100 per cent committed and they have that focus time of just being in the boat and hopefully they can do what they can and that will produce good results.”
Meanwhile, Jack Burnell was cruelly denied a medal on his Olympic debut after being disqualified from the men’s 10km marathon swim at Fort Copacabana.
The European silver medallist was in the leading pack sprinting for home before he was held back by Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli.
While the Brit kicked out of Mellouli’s grip and recovered to touch in a photo finish for third, he was later disqualified for his role in the incident.
“It’s a double hit - disqualifying me and getting screwed over in the finish, "said Burnell.
"He was yellow carded for that which stopped me winning and I was disqualified for getting him off to try and win the race.
“I’m without a doubt one of the fastest finishers in there. We knew that coming into this. So that line was perfect for me. But it’s just all ruined. It’s four years of work down the drain – absolutely down the drain.”
Former Loughborough College student Jack Burnell of Great Britain competes in the Men’s 10km Marathon Swimming on Day 11 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Fort Copacabana (Vaughn Ridley/SWpix)