READING- BORN Sam Scowen and her partner Nick Beighton finished second in their mixed double sculls heat at the Paralympic Games at Dorney Lake this morning.
Rowing in gloriously sunny weather, the pair got off to a decent start and were well in contention at the front of the pack but they couldn't overhaul French duo Perle Bouge and Stephane Tardieu who finished in exactly four minutes - a world best time.
Scowen will have to return at the same time tomorrow to contest the repechage.
Speaking after the race, she said: "It's nice to go out there and show the world what we can do.
"It took a world's best time to beat us so that's nothing to be sniffed at."
The 24-year-old was racing on her home lake at Dorney but said: 'I was surprisingly calm. I didn't expect to be as relaxed as I was."
She added: "It was a great experience and I'm looking forward to coming back out and doing it again tomorrow."
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