TOM LUCY stormed to oarsome silver on the Beijing rowing lake to become one of GB's youngest ever rowing medallists at just 20 years of age. The magnificent achievement was reported in last week's Beacon.
Now, we recall the magic moments of Tom's Olympics.
The Wye rower's GB eight chased home world champions Canada and just held off Athens gold medallists America in a superb climax to the Olympic regatta.
It followed glorious gold for Wales' Tom James in the GB flagship four 24 hours earlier, and Lucy's fellow Monmouth School product Robin Williams was also celebrating as the GB lightweight coach saw Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter triumph in the double sculls.
"It's a brilliant climax to three years of bloody hard work, and I know I'll be very happy when it sinks in," said Lucy minutes after receiving his silver medal.
"It's all a bit of a blur at the moment, I've still not come down from the race and got my head together. I'm totally exhausted and we couldn't have given any more.
"We said before the race, we'd do everything in our own boat, total focus and no looking around.
"I wasn't too sure where we were in the middle, I was just pulling my guts out, but hitting the last 500m, I could see we were catching the Canadians out of the corner of my eye.
"We were trucking through them, but then the US came with a massive charge as well and we gave it everything we had to catch the leaders and hold the Yanks off.
"It was a great race to be in, really exciting, but so hard, I'm exhausted.
"The US were coming so fast, but we just held on and ran out of water to catch the Canadians."
Watched from the lakeside by mother Trish and brother Edward, the 2006 world junior champion's boat went through 500m in second ahead of Holland and were still in silver at halfway, where the Canadians had pushed out to a length in pole position.
But GB, with Lucy in the three seat, began to move on them in the third 500m and had a canvas overlap with 500m to race as America began to breathe down their necks in third.
And the Brits and the US started charging together back at the leaders at 40 strokes a minute. At one point America were just a foot from going in front of GB, but they dug in to hold them off in the last 20 strokes as Canada held on in gold by just half a length to win in five minutes 23.89 seconds.
GB crossed in 5.25.11 just four feet up on the US, with Holland fourth, Poland fifth and Australia sixth.
"I feel happy but also a bit sad we didn't get gold. I don't think it was our best row. It was good rowing, but not quite our best," said Lucy.
"It needed to be special to beat the world champions and win the Olympics and it was pretty damn good, but not quite special enough.
"We went into it with dreams of gold and not winning the race, you're going to be a tinge disappionted, but hey, you can't be disappointed with an Olympic silver medal. I know in a short time, I'll be loving it.
"I've trained a hell of a long time for this, it's been a fantastic experience, the best of my life.
"There were mixed emotions on the podium, proud at getting a silver, but it's hard when the Canadians are whooping and hollering with gold right next to you.
"We thought we could beat them, but it wasn't to be.
"I've lived and worked with these guys and it's been a massive privilege to be on board, tough guys who will go to the ends of the earth for each other.
"To go through that together has been an amazing experience.
"We were totally rowed out at the finish, I coudn't have done any more. The last 10 strokes were a bit of a mess, as we were running on empty and the line couldn't come soon enough.
"And it's brilliant to win another Welsh medal after Nicole Cooke and Tom James yesterday.
"I've had so much support from back home, messages from my old school Monmouth where I learnt to row, messages from my old rowing coaches, who I owe so much. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them.
"I know there's been loads of coverage back home and it's been a privilege to represent Wales over here and bring back a silver medal. The support's been brilliant and I'm really proud, but completely rowed out now.
"London 2012 is going to be massive and I'd love to be there. But I've just got to kick back and enjoy the next two months and then think about what I want to do.
"It's time to live a little like a normal 20-year-old for a while, because I've had to sacrifice so much to be here, but it's all been worth it."
Eleven-time Cambridge Boat Race coach Williams also had a Chinese cracker when the GB lightweight double held off Greece to take gold by a third of a length - the first lightweight rowing medal for Britian in Olympic history.