Rowing: Pinsent loses his aura of invincibility

The cracks are showing as Mr Indestructible misses out on a major medal for the first time since 1987

Through their agony, as they slumped disconsolately a few yeards past the finishing line, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell probably just heard the faint strains of the National Anthem and witnessed the raising of the union flag as a medal ceremony was performed.

It was gold for Britain here yesterday in the pair, but not for the two men synonomous with success; the two men who a year ago had established a new world record in their event; the two men who, until yesterday, were destined for Olympic glory.

While Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainger succeeded in achieving the unexpected and became gold recipients a year ahead of schedule in the women's pair final, the performance of their male counterparts had been nothing less than inexplicable.

The juxtaposition of events made it all the more cruel. In weaker men, such a comprehesive defeat as this would surely have fatally punctured their confidence. Pinsent and Cracknell are constructed of reinforced steel. But will it be strong enough in the months to come?

Having already been defeated by the Croatian pair when third on this same water in a World Cup final in May, the British duo's latest reverse, this time by an Australian crew whom they had left in fourth place at the corresponding event last year in Seville, is destined to have significant implications. Here Britain's principal rowing hopes in Athens in a year's time were not just beaten, but dispatched mercilessly.

The winners were a couple of genial Aussies named James Tomkins and Drew Ginn, who may sound like a couple of sheep-shearers but here asserted themselves so emphatically in the first half of the race that the British duo, who were only briefly in a medal position, could not find the response required when they attempted to rally in the latter stages. Then came the Croatian brothers, Sinisa and Niksa Skelin, and the South Africans, Ramon Di Clemente and Donovan Cech.

In fourth, the British pair were beaten by nearly four seconds, though there was more than a suspicion that once they recognised that victory was beyond them they capitulated. "It's very hard to chase for minor medals and to feel passionate about it when the whole day is about winning gold," reflected Pinsent. "You may as well finish 17th as second."

When they finally made their way back into public view after an hour's reflection, Cracknell described his feelings in two words: frustration and embarassment. There will probably be many more which do not bear repeating in public. "It's really hard when you know you're the quickest and most powerful and you don't put it together," added Cracknell after a pause. "This is really going to test Matthew and me and the way we work together. But I guess we've been in worse situations before and come through."

Among the British contingent witnessing events unfold on the Idroscalo - a man-made lake a few miles outside Milan which originally served as a placid landing place for Mussolini's seaplanes - an air of disbelief permeated. Earlier they had watched Tom Kay claim silver in the lightweight men's sculls, and Grainger and Bishop secure their gold after a splendidly-judged display which saw them progress from fourth to lead 200 metres out. Later, the British supporters saw the four -- Stephen Williams, Joshua West, Toby Garbett and Richard Dunn -- successors to the Redgrave foursome, win silver.

But Pinsent was the man on whom all eyes were focused, the nearest any sport has to invincibility. Yes, he's experienced the wounds of defeat, both with Cracknell and earlier in his career, with Sir Steve Redgrave. But never when it mattered. Never, like this, has the stiletto been thrust up to the hilt and twisted quite so brutally.

It was 1990 when Pinsent last failed to collect gold at a world championships or Olympics. You have to trace records back as far as 1987 to discover when he last failed to make the podium at a major championship. A 13th successive world championship (or Olympic gold) would have established a record in any sport.

In typically stoic fashion, Pinsent attempted to make light of his failure to do so afterwards. "People have made a big deal about the record, but I never set out to be a Trivial Pursuit question," he retorted. "The pressure of that has built up over time, and in a way I'm glad that one's been put to bed."

Afterwards there were words of both criticism and encouragement from both Redgrave and Tim Foster, with whom Cracknell and Pinsent competed as a four to claim gold in Sydney. "I just feel gutted for Matthew," said Redgrave. "Internally, he'll be absolutely devastated; externally, he'll put on a brave face. It's a new experience for him to have to deal with."

This autuman and winter will inevitably be a time of hard, constructive thinking for the crew which has promised so much. It is not inconveivable that it will result in a re-evaluation of the composition of both the pairs and the four. Pinsent, for one, will not want to end his career as an Olympic loser.

In the Pinsent household there will be much contemplation in the next few weeks; in the Cracknell home there will be more pressing matters: a baby due to TV presenter wife Beverley on 1 October. Pinsent muttered something about "not throwing the baby out with the bathwater".

Hopefully, he was referring to the future of the British pair. Whatever, somewhere between now and Athens both he and Cracknell will need to have a serious look at improving their displacement of water.