Gold in men’s eight caps successful mission

Having already secured one gold and three bronze medals during the regatta in South Korea, the eights crew finished ahead of Germany and the United States.

The men’s eight were bronze medal winners at the London 2012 Olympics, where Germany took the gold.

But it was a momentous victory on Tangeum Lake on Saturday for the British crew – Daniel Ritchie, City of York’s Tom Ransley, Alex Gregory, Pete Reed, Mohamed Sbihi, Hebden’s Andrew Triggs Hodge, George Nash, William Satch and cox Phelan Hill.

They dictated the pace of the 2,000m race, leading at all of the checkpoints – although Germany closed to within five-tenths of a second of the leaders when they crossed the line.

On the final day of competition the men’s lightweight four managed to secure third, with Adam Freeman-Pask, Jonathan Cleggwon, Chris Bartley and William Fletcher taking bronze.

With everyone involved in international rowing now having one eye on the 2016 Olympics, Great Britain’s performance director Sir David Tanner was delighted with the overall effort of his team throughout the championships.

“I am very proud of our rowers,” he said.

“The men’s eight gold was the perfect conclusion to the first Championships of the Rio Olympiad. and it was a superb bronze for the lightweight men’s four.”

On Saturday, Helen Glover’s dominance of the women’s pair event continued with a new partner in Chengdu as she and Polly Swann took gold.

The 27-year-old topped the podium at the London Olympics with Heather Stanning and, when Stanning rejoined the Army, Swann was called up to replace her. It looked all too easy for the British pair, who finish the season unbeaten.

“We were in a commanding position from stroke one, USA put us under pressure for the first 500m and made us a bit worried, but we stayed focused and continued on,” said Glover afterwards.

There was success in the men’s pairs too, as Oliver Cook and James Foad took first place in the B Final, with the A Final won by New Zealand.

Brothers Peter and Richard Chambers were bronze medallists in the lightweight men’s double sculls, with the men’s quadruple scull also finishing third in their final.