Mixed final day for GB in Poland

WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Venue: Poznan, Poland Dates: 23-30 August Coverage: Finals live on the red button, the BBC Sport website and 5 live sports extra; Highlights on BBC TWO

Great Britain won just two medals on the last day of the World Championships in Poland but finished second to Germany in the overall team trophy.

A bronze for lightweight double Sophie Hosking and Hester Goodsell took GB's medals in Olympic-class events to six - more than any other nation.

In the women's lightweight quads - a non-Olympic event, GB gained a silver.

But the men's and women's eights, the men's lightweight double and women's quad all failed to reach the podium.

It was a stark contrast to Saturday, when Great Britain took medals in five of the six finals they contested.

"Sunday has been a bit flat because Saturday was so outstanding," said team manager David Tanner.

"But if you look overall we've got six medals in Olympic classes and we would have settled for four at the beginning of the regatta."

Goodsell and Hosking had their sights on GB's first lightweight women's world gold after winning the World Cup series.

But they were behind off the start against a Greece crew with a new line-up.

"Bronze is better than ever before so it's a start," said Goodsell. "We caught a few waves, were down and the people in front maybe had an advantage as they could relax more.

"But we're used to dealing with these conditions."

Hosking added: "We knew they were going to be strong. If it was easy to win it wouldn't mean anything."

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" there was a firm smile from GB team manager David Tanner, buoyed from the events of Saturday, which took him past his pre-event medal target of four with a day to spare "

The lightweight men's double Paul Mattick and Rob Williams were sixth in their final, competing in the event after Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter, who took Olympic gold last year, both took the season off.

The women's quad, with a line-up changed completely from the one that won Olympic silver last year, were never in the hunt, finishing 15 seconds behind winners Ukraine.

GB's women's eight threatened to win a surprise medal for the first half of their race as they were second behind Olympic champions the USA, but they were hunted down by Romania and the Netherlands.

And despite sitting third in the second quarter of their final, the men's eight failed to realise their hopes of bronze as the Netherlands passed them to finish behind Germany and Canada.

The women's lightweight quad were upset after bow girl Stephanie Cullen, making her world debut, lost control of her blade in rough water just before the final sprint, although they recovered to hold off the USA.

The result brought a sixth world silver for stroke Jane Hall, at 35 the oldest member of the GB squad, who was aiming for her first gold since 1993.

She said: "I've never been more disappointed with silver but it's a world silver.

"It was a tough last 300m and we did well to make sure the other crews didn't come through us."

Earlier in the day, the lightweight pair of Oliver Mahony and Ross Hunter - who was tempted to quit before watching older brother Mark win Olympic gold last year - finished fifth in their final.

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