NSWIS rower Cameron Girdlestone has won a silver medal in the men’s quadruple sculls.

In a cliffhanger finish, the Australians took significant water off the Germans but were just short of claiming the gold.

It made it back-to-back Olympic gold medals for the reigning world champions.

For Girdlestone and crew mates Karsten Forsterling, Alexander Belonogoff and James McRae, Olympic silver followed two victories in the World Rowing Cup series earlier in the year.

The Australians made up ground on the fast-starting Germans over the closing stages but fell 1.15 seconds short.

“We pegged them back but I guess we came unstuck by maybe one or two strokes at the end there. But we did fight hard,” Girdlestone told Channel 7.

“The conditions have been a bit testing. It was pretty wild out there.”

To read more about Australia’s silver medal CLICK HERE