Great Britain start the rowing season on top

Great Britain now leads the overall medal standings, a position that has been dominated by Germany for many years.

The British success came with the help of four gold medals. Men’s single sculler Alan Campbell rowed a mature and consistent race to beat out Ondrej Synek (CZE) and Olaf Tufte (NOR). Campbell started competing in the single internationally in 2006 and has been regularly in the A Final.

Great Britain’s men’s four is back on top after completely dominating their finals race from start to finish. The four is the flagship crew for the men’s squad and their surprise defeat at last year’s World Rowing Championships saw coach Juergen Grobler go back to the drawing board to work out how to make his crew faster.

After the race stroke Andy Hodge commented, "It couldn't have been better today. That's the best start to the season we've had yet."

The women’s flagship boat for Great Britain, the quad, also scored gold. The quad had stiff competition from China and Germany but stroke Katherine Grainger commented at the end of the finals that it had been a bit easier than expected.

Golds were also earned in the men’s double of Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham and the lightweight men’s double (Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter).

Great Britain finished the regatta with 59 points, just three points ahead of Germany who won just one gold (lightweight women’s double) but scored points in 11 of the 14 events that make up the points table. China came through in third notching up three gold medals: in the women’s double the women’s pair and the lightweight men’s four. Australia, in fourth with 28 points, left their best to last. They won both the men’s and women’s eights.

After four days of racing, 26 countries had earned Rowing World Cup points, one of the largest cross-nations spread, despite several countries choosing not to compete at this regatta.

The international rowing scene now shifts its focus to the second Rowing World Cup. This will be raced in Lucerne, Switzerland commencing on 30 May 2008.

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