The duo finished with a time of 6mins 51.45secs as they narrowly lost to New Zealand by 1.26 seconds.

This was the first event where they have competed in the pair, making the feat even more special.

Stepanova was born in Tver in 1993.

Her father is a rowing coach for CSKA Moscow and inspired her to get involved with the sport when she was 15-years-old.

As well as her silver, the 28-year-old won a bronze medal at the 2019 European Rowing Championships and gold at the 2014 World Under-23 Championships in the coxed eight and coxless four events respectively.

In 2014, she married Vasily Stepanov, another rower who has represented Russia at the 2021 European Championships and the 2018 and 2019 World Championships.

Oriabinskaia, who was born in Saint Petersburg, has won a wide array of medals throughout her career.

She has two World Championship bronze medals, one European Championship gold as well as three bronzes and a silver, and bronze at the World Under-23 Championships.

She had never heard of rowing before she started.

When she was at school a coach came in to recruit tall children and Oriabinskaia was immediately interested when she saw how "tall, strong and beautiful she was".

She graduated from the Kuban State University of Physical Education, Sport and Tourism in Krasnodar in 2021.