ALISON Mowbray made it a weekend to remember for Bucks rowers when she picked up a silver medal in the quad sculls.

The former Marlow Rowing Club member, who still trains with the club, had watched on Saturday when Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainer picked up silver and Sarah Winckless won bronze.

And when it was time for Mowbray's crew to race on Sunday morning, they didn't disappoint, coming in second behind Germany, who have won the quad sculls every Olympics since the event's inception in 1988.

Mowbray, 23, said: "As a science teacher, a deadline brings the best out of me.

"I remember sitting on my friend's sofa in February wondering how I would ever get to the Olympic Games and so to get a silver medal is absolutely fantastic."

The British crew, of Mowbray, Frances Houghton, Debbie Flood and Rebecca Romero, were only in fifth place after 500m but then came through the pack.

They were more than a second faster than their opponents over the last 500m to finish second in six minutes 31.26 seconds, 1.97 seconds behind Germany.

Mowbray, who has a PhD in molecular chemistry, is now retiring from the sport.