DURHAM'S Jess Eddie and Zoe Lee from Richmond, North Yorkshire, have claimed Olympic silver medals.

the pair are members of Team GB's women's eight, which has claimed a silver at the Rio Olympics. It is Team GB's first-ever Olympic medal in the women's eight.

It was followed by a gold medal for the men's eight, to round off a terrific day on the water.

On a stunning final morning of the rowing regatta, the British octet's fine race brought with it a deserved podium finish.

Eddie, Lee, Katie Greves, Melanie Wilson, Frances Houghton, Polly Swann, Olivia Carnegie-Brown, Karen Bennett and cox Zoe de Toledo crossed the line in six minutes 3.98 seconds - just 0.12 seconds ahead of bronze medallists Romania.

The Northern Echo: Great Britain celebrate after winning the Silver Medal in the Women's Eight. Picture : Mike Egerton/PA Wire

Reigning champions the United States were deserved winners of a race that Britain started slowly, sitting at the back of the pack at the halfway mark.

However, they upped the ante and entered the final 500 metres in third, before kicking on and holding off Romania to win silver.

Speaking afterwards, Eddie hailed all the women who had helped to get them there, telling the BBC: "I'm so proud of these nine girls but there's about 50 more behind us that got us here."

Swann added: "To be honest at 500 I thought we were going to win. I just absolutely believed every single stroke, that we had what it took.

"Okay, America, incredibly classy crew, but that does not take away from the silver medal. It was incredible. These girls are strong, they're sassy, they're inspirational and I am so happy to be here with them."

Eddie, who attended Durham St Leonard’s Catholic School and learned to row on the River Wear when she was eight, joined Durham Amateur Rowing Club as a teenager before being picked up by the GB squad at 16.

She is the most experienced of the North-East’s Olympians, with two previous Olympic appearances already under her belt.

Eddie was part of the eight that made the final at both Beijing and London, and the feeling that this year’s crew is Britain’s best entry in an Olympic eights event appears to have been justified.

Lee has already had plenty to celebrate this year after successfully completing a PhD in Geography at King’s College, London, and the North Yorkshire rower realised another ambition when she made her maiden appearance at the Olympics.

An Oxford Blue and former World University champion, she helped the women’s eight claim a bronze medal at this year’s European Championships.

Later, Great Britain enjoyed a golden finale to the Rio 2016 rowing regatta as the men's eight won gold in dominant fashion.

The celebrations following Team GB's first-ever Olympic medal in the women's eight had barely subsided by the time the men's crew took to the water.

Scott Durant, Tom Ransley, Andrew T Hodge, Matt Gotrel, Pete Reed, Paul Bennett, Matt Langridge, William Satch and cox Phelan Hill produced an exceptional race, following up the women's silver by topping the podium in the final race at the Lagoa.

It was Britain's first gold in the event since Sydney 2000 and was thoroughly deserved after a storming start to the race.

Germany were unable to claw back the leaders, finishing 1.33 seconds behind to the delight of the strong British contingent in the crowd.

It marked quite the Olympic debut for Bennett, Durant and Gotrel, while Langridge, Ransley and Hill upgraded on their men's eight bronze from London 2012.

Reed and Hodge won gold at a third straight Games having helped the men's four triumph in the last two Olympics, while Satch added to the men's pair bronze won four years ago.

Hill, speaking to BBC One, said: "That was fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It was so different to four years ago.

"Today we controlled it from the start. Today was about delivery and doing what we have done. These guys are absolute gladiators today."

Reed added: "I've never been so ready for an Olympic Games before. It's such a great bunch of guys and that was a big, big race. I'm speechless."