Polly Swann and Helen Glover became World Champions in the women's pair on Lake Tangeum this afternoon in Korea and the GB men's quad of Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins and Peter Lambert made history by taking Britain's first men's quadruple scull medal at the Worlds of all time.
Between the two feats, brothers Peter and Richard Chambers won lightweight men's double scull bronze to add to the two bronzes GB won yesterday in the lightweight men's pair and women' s single.
Glover's gold here came after two previous World silvers and the Olympic title last year with Heather Stanning, For Swann it was a debut senior Championships performance after missing the Olympics through injury.
"It has been a very different year', said Glover. 'Last year Heather and I were pretty much unknowns outside rowing but this year there has been pressure of expectation on Polly and me. I think we handled it pretty well". They won from the front to take gold in 7:22.82 from Romania.
The men's quadruple scull came from the pack to take bronze behind Croatia and Germany in gold and silver respectively - a reversal of the top two positions at the Olympics last year.
"On the day today we didn't have much more than that", said Cousins who earlier this year won the GB trials in the single. "I think all of us can walk away with our heads up. We weren't top but we came away with the medal".
"I can't really believe it", said Thomas, a graduate of the GB Rowing Team "Start" talent development system.. 'It's all been a bit of a whirlwind for me, having only been rowing for four years. I didn't expect to win a world medal this early - all credit to the guys in the boat for coping with such a newbie".
Richard and Peter Chambers made a break at the front with 300m to go in their lightweight men's double scull but could not hold the lead. "I think we gave it everything out there today. We could not have done more", said Peter.
Imogen Walsh and Kathryn Twyman were fourth in the lightweight women's double scull. Again they are a new crew this season in an Olympic event won by Kat Copeland and Sophie Hosking last year. "I think we have come a long way this season and even since the last world cup in Lucerne. We are two seconds faster than we were there", said Twyman.
Britain has a new line-up in the men's four, too, in 2013 and today Alan Sinclair, Nathaniel Reilly O'Donnell, Scott Durant and Mat Tarrant", proved they have what it takes for the future with a fifth place in their first World Championships for all bar O'Donnell, a World silver men's eight medalist in 2011.
"We have had three really good medals today and two other strong A final performances", said GB Rowing Team Performance Director Sir David Tanner. "There is history with Polly Swann taking a debut gold and Helen Glover, the Olympic champion, adding a World title to her Olympic gold.
"The Chambers brother have swapped from sweep rowing to the double scull this year. That was the challenge for them and to be on the podium a year after their Olympic silver in the lightweight men's four in a completely different discipline is exceptional.
"And, with the men's quadruple scull, that's a breakthrough moment for the GB Rowing Team. A piece of rowing history. We have never done that before. I am really happy with our three medals today".
The World Championships can be followed on-line at www.worldrowing.com and is being televised by BBC TV in the UK:
Saturday 31st August
15.00 - 16.30 highlights show on BBC One
Sunday 1st September
07.00 - 09.00 on the red button and website;
15.00 - 16.30 highlights show on BBC Two
FINALS
Helen Glover and Polly Swann went to the line for their first World Championships final together and came away with the title.
Glover, of course, had competed at this level before in New Zealand (2010) and in Bled (2011) taking silver both times before going on to win gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games with Heather Stanning. Swann narrowly missed out on going to those Games in the women's eight, getting injured just before.
Today they got the best first 100m of the field and as the crews settled into their race pace, the Americans were their nearest challengers . By the 500m mark the USA had got their noses in front with the British responding to take the lead once more.
Behind the USA the Romanians were a length adrift. Glover and Swann extended their lead and looked comfortable despite the hot and slightly breezy conditions. They moved out to over a length on the Americans creating the perfect conditions from which to control the second.half.
The Minerva-Bath and Leander rowers, from the opposite ends of the UK, kept up the pace relentlessly and Romania began a late surge to move past the Americans and take up the chase with New Zealand. British supporters tensed. They need not have worried. Glover and Swann found another gear to win in 7:22.82.
Swann put her head in her hands as she crossed the line. Afterwards she explained: "I really couldn't quite believe it. It feels fantastic to be world champions". You just have to believe in yourself. I think we raced that pretty well and put in a few good pushes when it mattered".
Glover added: "It was very different this year because even though last year was the home Olympic Games I actually had less pressure, we were relative unknowns and kept away from the media. This time we had to deal with the pressure of expectation and I think we did it well", said Glover.
"Sometimes you think it will take a long time to get such a good connection with a rowing partner as I had with Heather but Polly and I have worked really hard and it has come together well. Today felt fantastic".
Croatia, Germany and Estonia made the early pace in the men's quadruple scull final . GB began to show at halfway and then drew alongside Estonia in the third quarter and on to the shoulders of Germany. Momentarily it looked, in the final sprint as if GB might move up to take silver as the raze came past the grandstands but the Germans found enough to hold on for silver with GB in bronze in 5:54.78 with gold going to Croatia.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a little tear as we crossed the line", said Townsend. "All thanks to coach Mark Earnshaw who has seen me in despair after major championships before and who has done so much to move sculling forward in the UK and to Paul Stannard our coach now who has done a fantastic job with us this year.
"It is quite emotional. It has been a long time coming for me and for sculling in general. To finally have a medal around my neck to show that I am a good athlete and that we are capable means everything".
Peter Lambert said: "I am pretty happy. I am happy with the way the race went and with the whole week. We just kept calm even though there was a bit of pressure on us. Everyone just knew what we had to do and as a new crew it's a first medal for a British quad, I'm just happy".
"I am a little bit stunned", said Thomas. "I am here on a World podium much earlier than I thought I would be. Sam and Charles are guys that I have really looked up to for a long time and they have helped bring me on", said Thomas.
Richard and Peter Chambers, brothers and crew-mates, said this week that competing together in the GB lightweight men's double scull has had its "ups and downs" as a project. Today, it came to fruition with a gut-busting final in which the Coleraine duo went off sharply to lead momentarily before the Italians took up the baton as the race moved through 350m gone. Norway went with them and the GB and Swiss boats kept in touch just behind.
Italy piled on the pressure as the race moved towards its second half. The Italians move was countered by the British duo who moved up into second with Norway at close hand. "We gave it everything in that third 500m but we couldn't hold on", said Peter afterwards of the result that saw them take bronze behind winners Norway and second-placed Switzerland who both overtook Italy in the final phase.
"I think that is the worst I have ever felt after any race", added Peter. "The pain is all over but all credit to the other crews. You can't think you will come into an event in your first season and beat the guys who have been there for some time. We couldn't do any more today".
Imogen Walsh and Kathryn Twyman kept in medal contention in their lightweight women's double for the early part of the race and, with 500m to go, looked as if they might challenge for the podium before falling back as the top three crews upped the rate in the chase to the line.
Italy, second at 500m, came through to win in 7:17.31 with the USA in silver and Germany in bronze. GB took fourth in 7:24.54.
"I think we have moved on over the season but a lot of the rest of the field have done that too", said Twyman.
"We are still at the stage that we are analysing the race and how it went', said Walsh. "We have moved on further as a crew than probably we ever thought we would do. But whether I think that race was our absolute best, I am still figuring out".
The GB men's four, stroked by Mat Tarrant, and featuring Scott Durant, Nathaniel Reilly O'Donnell and Alan Sinclair made a decent start and were in the mix throughout the first quarter of their final today. In the second quarter they fell slightly off the pace and then came back strongly on the inside lane but could not quite catch the leading boats to finish fifth in 6:22.71.
At the head of the race the Netherlands put in a startling finishing to take gold from the favourites Australia in silver and the USA in bronze.
"It's good to have made the final but it's just a bit frustrating not to have had a really good row today", said Durant. "I think if we had come away with fifth place and said that we had had our best row ever, then we would have felt better', said Durant, showing the measure of their future ambition.
B FINALS
Oliver Cook and James Foad led this race in its opening strokes before European Champions Nenad Bedik and Nikola Stojic stormed to the front to build a long lead. Against a backdrop of humid but sunny skies the British launched a counter-attack and just beyond 1500m they hit the front again.
Foad kept the pressure on in the stroke seat and they slid past Serbia and made sure South Africa could not catch them to take the win in 6:39.54 - a remarkable result after a short preparation time for the crew.
Rosamund Bradbury, Kristina Stiller, Monica Relph and Lucinda Gooderham are a development women's boat within the GB boat. They will have soaked up the experience here and in today's B final they were in touch off the start with Bealarus and then Australia showing well at the head of the field.
Just after halfway Australia and New Zealand were tussling together at the front whilst the British combination came through Belarus to take third and then moved on to challenge Australia. To the excitement of the vocal British support the British looked for a moment as if they might overhaul Australia before taking third in xxxxx.