DORNEY, England (Reuters) – The 25,000 fans turning up at the Olympic rowing lake owned by Britain’s elite Eton College have lifted Britain to its first gold medal at the Games, thrilled competitors and sometimes made it tough for the rowers to be heard in the boat.

To the deafening approval of the grandstands on Thursday, Britain took the early bragging rights in a grudge match against Australia, when they rowed through their rivals in the men’s fours semi-final ahead of a medal showdown that is expected to be the highlight of the Olympic regatta.

DORNEY, England (Reuters) – The 25,000 fans turning up at the Olympic rowing lake owned by Britain’s elite Eton College have lifted Britain to its first gold medal at the Games, thrilled competitors and sometimes made it tough for the rowers to be heard in the boat.

To the deafening approval of the grandstands on Thursday, Britain took the early bragging rights in a grudge match against Australia, when they rowed through their rivals in the men’s fours semi-final ahead of a medal showdown that is expected to be the highlight of the Olympic regatta.

LONDON (Reuters) – A British man is making sweet music out of conversations he overhears on London transport at the Olympics and posting a song on the Internet every day of the Games for the world to hear.

Charity director Nigel Parkes said his bizarre musical project came out of a conversation with some young people he met on the train, who did not know who his hero Bob Dylan was.

DORNEY (Reuters) – Germany’s eight man rowing crew bore the weight of history lightly on their shoulders after staving off challenges from Britain and Canada to win their first Olympic gold medal in 24 years on Wednesday.

The last time a “German” eight man crew struck gold at the Olympics, Helmut Kohl was Chancellor of West Germany, the Berlin Wall was still standing tall and the crew which streaked to the line at the 1988 Seoul Olympics beat the Soviet Union and its Cold War rival the United States.

DORNEY, England Aug 1 (Reuters) – Germany’s eight man rowing
crew bore the weight of history lightly on their shoulders after
staving off challenges from Britain and Canada to win their
first Olympic gold medal in 24 years on Wednesday.

The last time a “German” eight man crew struck gold at the
Olympics, Helmut Kohl was Chancellor of West Germany, the Berlin
Wall was still standing tall and the crew which streaked to the
line at the 1988 Seoul Olympics beat the Soviet Union and its
Cold War rival the United States.

DORNEY, England (Reuters) – Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning stormed to victory in the women’s Olympic rowing pair on Wednesday to give the host nation their first gold of the London Games in front of Princes William and Harry and 25,000 screaming fans.

In the last race of the day, the German men’s eight held off a strong early challenge from Britain and a late charge from defending champions Canada to win the blue riband event in a thrilling sprint for the line.

DORNEY, England (Reuters) – Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning stormed to victory in the women’s Olympic rowing pair on Wednesday to give the host nation their first gold of the London Games in front of Princes William and Harry and 25,000 screaming fans.

In the last race of the day, the German men’s eight held off a strong early challenge from Britain and a late charge from defending champions Canada to win the blue riband event in a thrilling sprint for the line.

DORNEY, England (Reuters) – Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning stormed to victory in the women’s Olympic rowing pair on Wednesday to give the host nation their first gold medal of the London Olympics in front of 25,000 screaming fans.

Roared on by Princes William and Harry, the British duo – who only came together in 2010 after missing out on other boats – took a commanding lead early in the race and held off a late challenge from Australia to claim the first Olympic gold won by a British women’s crew.

DORNEY, England, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Britain’s Helen Glover
and Heather Stanning stormed to victory in the women’s Olympic
rowing pair on Wednesday to give the host nation their first
gold medal of the London Olympics in front of 25,000 screaming
fans.

Roared on by Princes William and Harry, the British duo -
who only came together in 2010 after missing out on other boats
- took a commanding lead early in the race and held off a late
challenge from Australia to claim the first Olympic gold won by
a British women’s crew.

LONDON (Reuters) – Tube trips are surprisingly easy, shopping on the high street is down in central London, hotel bookings and prices are off their peak, while theatres and London cafes suffer the Olympic effect.

Economists have long warned that the Olympics may not provide much of a boost at this stage for Britain’s recession-hit economy as most of the construction work and investment has been done in the run-up to the Games. Now, early evidence appears to be bearing this out.