TOKYO OLYMPICS

Shepherd makes history as first man to win women's Olympic medal

Ella Greenslade, Emma Dyke, Lucy Spoors, Kelsey Bevan, Grace Prendergast, Kerri Gowler, Beth Ross, Jackie Gowler and Caleb Shepherd of Team New Zealand celebrate winning the silver medal during the medal ceremony for the Women's Eight Final A at the Sea Forest Waterway as part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: Jan Woitas/dpa.

The Nomad Today/dpa

30 de July de 2021 (14:21 h.)

A rule change in 2017 removed gender restrictions for the coxswain

Caleb Shepherd made Olympic history on Friday as the first man to win a medal in a women's event after guiding New Zealand's rowing eight to silver at the Tokyo Games, local media reported.

A rule change in 2017 removed gender restrictions for the coxswain - who sits at the front to steer - meaning Shepherd could join Ella Greenslade, Emma Dyke, Lucy Spoors, Kelsey Bevan, Grace Prendergast, Kerri Gowler, Beth Ross and Jackie Gowler in racing onto the podium.

New Zealand took a first medal in the event just behind winners Canada and ahead of China who took bronze.

"That's the best we could have done today," the New Zealand portal stuff.co.nz quoted Shepherd as saying.

"It was amazing, we left it all out there, it was so good."