Rowing World Cup: Britain head medals table in Varese

Britain topped the medals table after winning four golds on the final day of the World Cup in Italy on Sunday.

Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won the women's pair before Katherine Copeland and Charlotte Taylor won the lightweight women's double.

Britain's men won the quadruple sculls, while there was also gold in the men's eight at the event in Varese.

Olympic champion Katherine Grainger partnered Victoria Thornley to win bronze in the double sculls.

It followed Saturday's victory for Britain in the Para-rowing mixed coxed four.

The lightweight men's pair of Jonathan Clegg and Sam Scrimgeour won silver, while Britain took bronze in four other events during the weekend to take the medal tally to 10.

New Zealand were second with six medals, ahead of third-placed Australia, who finished with five.

Olympic champions Glover and Stanning led throughout to win their final in six minutes 53.670 seconds, ahead of USA and New Zealand.

"The race was good. We did what we wanted to do," said Stanning after the pair added the win to their European success in May.

Copeland and Taylor, who set a world record in qualifying for the final, beat world champions New Zealand to clinch their victory.

"It's great to have Charlie behind me," said Copeland. "She is so strong and I feel like she is almost pushing me along at times".

Olympic champion Grainger, commentating on her bronze, said: "We knew it would be tough as all the semi-final times were so close. We have made great progress as we are still a new crew.

"So it was a fantastic bronze and it's a long time since I've had that kind of fierce racing."