HE might have initially been questioning his future in the sport post-Rio, but heartbreak in the men’s double sculls semi-finals has rower Will Fletcher fired up and ready to bid for Tokyo 2020.

Rowing alongside Richard Chambers, Chester-le-Street’s Fletcher knew that a top-three finish would see him race for a medal on his Olympic Games debut in Rio.

But despite sitting third after the first 500m, the duo could not keep pace with the leading crews of France, USA and Ireland and eventually came home fourth, just over three seconds off the Irish in third spot.

It means they have to content themselves with a place in Friday’s B race instead, with Fletcher determined to at least end on a high.

And he believes that race will not represent a final swansong when it comes to his Olympic career.

“I never saw myself continuing rowing, but now I really do want to come back and show what I can do. I want to be in an A final and then come away with something,” he said.

“It is really hard to say whether you are going to continue after four years of putting yourself through hell.

“But putting yourself through hell and not getting what you want makes you want to come back.

“Now I want to and see what I can do better and see if I can get a medal. I feel like I am determined and that is the plan.

“Obviously I am pretty devastated but we rowed the race we wanted to row and it was not good enough.

“We got beaten by three other crews – well done to the Irish, French and USA it was a really good run.”

It has been a far from easy first Olympic regatta for Fletcher with wind conditions seeing two whole days of rowing postponed.

This had led to a knock-on effect for scheduling, something that can prove particularly troublesome for a lightweight rower needing to make weight.

But Fletcher refused to blame that as a reason for not making the final.

“It has been really challenging in many ways obviously it has been pretty difficult with the schedule changing,” he added.

“It has been hard. It is not an excuse, it is the same for everyone but it has been challenging.

“We need to pick ourselves up in the next 24 hours and do ourselves proud in the B final and that is it.

“It is an interesting regatta, it is smaller than a world championship which is pretty weird. There are not as many people around. “It is good in some ways but devastating in other ways but it has made me want to continue and improve now.”

Elsewhere on Thursday, Kat Copeland continued her difficult regatta by posting the fastest time in the lightweight women’s doubles sculls C semi-final.

The reigning champion had been looking to defend her title alongside Charlotte Taylor but the pair crashed out of contention on Tuesday and now have prepare themselves instead for the C final on Friday.

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