AFTER months of speculation the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games finally went ahead behind closed doors due to the COVID pandemic.

And once again Borderers played their part in the huge success of the tournament.

Rower Harry Leask who was brought up near Heriot picked up a silver medal in the quadruple sculls at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo Bay.

Leask, along with Angus Groom, Tom Barras and Jack Beaumont came second behind the Dutch team in the last of six finals to claim Team GB’s first ever Olympic medal in that event.

Hockey star Sarah Robertson picked up bronze with Team GB and scored a tremendous goal the third place play-off against India then demonstrated her Borders’ pluck when she lost her footing before colliding with the post which actually dislodged the goal.

The match official stopped play to check on the Scottish midfielder but she bravely brushed herself off and completed the match which ended 4-3 in favour of the Brits.

To mark the honour there have already been calls for the post box in the centre of Selkirk to be painted bronze.

Elsewhere former Melrose player Ross McCann narrowly missed out on a medal as the Team GB Men lost the bronze play off match to Argentina.

Likewise, the women lost out to Fiji at the same stage denying Lisa Thomson a gong.

Thomson did however score a try in the pool stages of the tournament against Kenya.

Show jumper Scott Brash with 12-year-old gelding Jefferson, owned by Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham, qualified for the Individual final.

But he just missed out in the ‘Jump off’ when he incurred a time fault of 0.45 seconds following a clear round.

He had been due to take part in the team event but an injury to Jefferson ruled him out of the event.

Jedburgh swimmer Lucy Hope was a late call-up to the squad made her Olympic debut competing in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay event and along with Anna Hopkin, Abbie Wood and Freya Anderson lowered that British record not once but twice, the latter in the final to finish in fifth place.

Selkirk’ rower Maddie Arlett was selected as a ‘spare’ for the Lightweight Womens’ Double Sculls but was not required to compete.

In total GB finished in fifth place in the medals table with 22-golds, 21-silvers and 22 bronze medals.