OLYMPIC rower Vicky Thornley has gold has come one step closer to gold after becoming the first Brit to qualify for the finals of her event in Tokyo.

St Asaph-born Vicky lived in Colwyn Bay until the age of 11, and attended Rydal Penrhos School, before moving to Holt in Wrexham.

The 33-year-old got off to an incredible start of her latest Olympic performance, having previously stormed ahead in heat four of the women's single sculls on July 23.

She secured a place in the upcoming final race after today’s semi-finals on the water in Tokyo’s purpose-built Sea Forest Waterway.

Rather than attacking the start and trying to hang on as she did in the quarter-final, Thornley was patient early on in the rough tailwind conditions and came back from a length down on Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig at halfway.

She said: “I’m just really happy to have executed the race I thought I was capable of. It was tricky in parts but totally manageable,” she said.

“When I saw the draw I thought it was pretty much an A-final, and to wait three days there was some mental gymnastics. It’s a huge relief to have done the job.

“I was aware of the other results before I went out. We’ve had a lot of fourth places, which is really hard, but I know everyone has given everything they have in this regatta.”

Thornley secured second place behind New Zealand’s Emma Twigg taking her through to the next, and final, round.

Vicky is no stranger to Olympic success - having come away with a silver medal in the women’s double sculls with Dame Katherine Grainger at the Rio Games back in 2016.

The single sculls final takes place in the early hours of tomorrow morning – July 30 at around 1.30am UK time.