Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast's message to New Zealand after gold medal win at Tokyo Olympics

After winning our first Tokyo gold medal today, Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast had a special message for New Zealand ...

An ecstatic Gowler thanked supporters, saying she was "gutted" fans couldn't celebrate with them because of the Covid-19 restrictions in Tokyo.

"Thanks for all the support, it's been such a long campaign ... five years, and I'm gutted everyone can't be here with us.

"But we hope we have made you proud!" she said after the race.

Sally Prendergast, Grace's mother, said her daughter made the most of not having family and friends in Tokyo by training harder than ever before.

"They did a lot more training ... turned a negative into a positive and they told us before that they were getting faster. We're not there with them but we are - with every row and every stroke."

Prendergast and Gowler have another shot at gold when they join the rest of the women's eight in tomorrow's final.