Timing is everything in rowing so when 24 hours became two and a half hours, Australian duo Annabelle McIntyre and Jessica Morrison were always going to be in trouble.
The women were attempting a rare feat in Olympic rowing, winning medals in two different boat classes at a Games - with Kim Brennan the only Australian rower to do so, taking bronze in the single sculls and silver in the women's double sculls in London 2012.
They achieved their first goal, clinching gold along with Lucy Stephan and Rosie Popa in the coxless four, which returned to the Olympic program in Tokyo after being cut following the Barcelona Games in 1992.
But tropical storm Nepartak proved a bigger obstacle than any of their rival rowers.
With strong winds forecast, Tokyo organisers rescheduled racing, throwing the Australians' race plans out the window.
The rowers had "practised" the Olympic regatta many times, but that was with 24 hours between the pair semi-final and the women's four final.
McIntyre and Morrison instead had to be back on the water for the semi-final of the pair just two and a half hour after giving their all to win gold in the four.
It proved too tough with the women fading in the final metres of the pair, having finished second at the previous world titles, to miss the medal race by 0.34 seconds. They went on to win the B final.
While the crew were thrilled to win gold in the four, Stephan said it was a sad outcome for her teammates.
"It's obviously pretty devastating," Stephan told AAP.
"I think that the result would have been different at the Olympics if the semi hadn't been moved due to weather conditions but they gave it their absolute all."
Stephan said the pair made a commitment to the four, and the rowers had full trust that they would treat each boat equally and devote the same time and effort.
But it was difficult for all the rowers.
"I am a bit in awe of us as I think how we managed it and how we handled it is very mature and very impressive - it's a lot of trust," the 29-year-old said.
"There's times where you have to put your ego aside.
"They very much understand how hard it is for us and we understand how hard it is for them, obviously trying to achieve the ultimate goal of coming away with two amazing races.
"I think they did that, it's just a shame that they couldn't show it in the final."
