THE Great Britain Rowing Team won two gold, three silver and three bronze medals at the final World Cup in Poland to set up a good platform for final Rio preparations.

Ex-Eton Boat Club star Constantine Louloudis, Alex Gregory, Moe Sbihi and George Nash were in sizzling form to lead throughout their four final, coming home a length up on World Champions Italy and early-season rivals Australia.

The quartet started as they meant to continue this summer to add the second gold medal for Great Britain.

They led through all the timing points and had a length over the Australians by mid-race, and never relinquished the margin.

Italy, who seem to be masters of the flying finish, were second having pipped Australia on the line.

Louloudis commented: “That felt good.

“It was great to put that into play. Both the Italians and the Australians are class crews. Now we need to repeat that in Rio.”

The lightweight four of Maidenhead resident Jonathan Clegg, Peter Chambers, Chris Bartley and Mark Aldred made a significant step up from the World Cup in Lucerne to take bronze. The race was won by New Zealand but the Great Britain crew contended strongly for silver.

The four started strongly in the final during which the clouds floated cross Lake Malta for the first time, but flags hung limply.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: The lightweight four of Chris Bartley, Mark Aldred, Maidenhead resident Jono Clegg (second from the right) and Peter Chambers won bronze in the lightweight four.

Great Britain were in a tight mix in the first 500m and emerged to challenge with New Zealand for the lead around the 650m, until they romped out to a clear water lead.

The quartet were lying in the silver medal position at the 1,500m but were being challenged by the chasing pack, including Denmark. It was close for the podium slots behind the Kiwis, who were clearly going to win.

In the end, the Danes had just enough pace to take the silver medal but Great Britain came home in third.

Clegg said: “Credit to our coach Hamish who has come in and helped us, and knows what he wants out of us.

“That race was definitely what we wanted and there was a lot of aggression from us.”

Maidenhead rower Katherine Grainger and Vicky Thornley, who returned to the double after a gap, looked raced rusty but showed promising signs in the opening half of their final before fading into fifth place.

There were encouraging signs in the opening half of their race with the duo lying in fourth and still contending.

Whilst they faded in the second half to fifth, this was a good field from which the Poles emerged as home favourites to win.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Will Fletcher and Maidenhead resident Richard Chambersfinished fifth in the lightweight double scull.

Richard Chambers, another Maidenhead resident, and Will Fletcher produced great racing speed early on in the lightweight double scull final but slipped from leading at halfway to fifth as their tank ran dry at the end.

Fifth place also awaited the open quadruple scull of Maidenhead man Peter Lambert, Sam Townsend, Angus Groom and Graeme Thomas, who were not in their best form.

The quartet were fourth at half-way in a race led by Australia, with Poland and Germany chasing them.

As the Australians stepped on the gas to extend their lead, the Germans came up to snatch second place with Poland in third.

Great Britain came home in fifth and will be looking to the forthcoming training camps to put things right.

Sir David Tanner is performance director for British Rowing. He said: “We have really moved on since the World Cup in Lucerne, which we needed to do.

“It will give us confidence to go on our training camps and prepare for a strong Olympic regatta. We know we still have more hard yards to put in.”

Earlier Jack Beaumont put in a strong finish to win the B-final of the single scull, whilst Windsor resident Oliver Cook teamed with Callum McBrierty and Henry Fieldman (cox) to win gold in the coxed pair.