World Rowing Championships: Glover & Stanning win gold

Britain's women's pair and men's four have won gold at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam with the men's pair and quad taking silver.

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover broke a 12-year-old world record to win their first world title as a duo.

Alex Gregory, George Nash, Andy Triggs Hodge and Moe Sbihi beat the USA by a length to win gold in the men's four.

The men's quad missed out on gold to Ukraine by a tenth of a second, and the pair were well beaten by New Zealand.

A strong cross-tailwind at the Bosbaan rowing lake provided perfect conditions to set fast times - and Olympic champions Glover and Stanning were the first to take advantage.

Assuming the lead at the start, the British pair extended their advantage at every checkpoint of the 2,000m course to cross the line three seconds clear of the field.

Their winning time of six minutes 50.61 seconds was three seconds quicker than the time set by Romania in 2002.

It was an imposing performance from the pair who were heavy favourites coming into the final having won gold medals at the Aiguebelette and Lucerne World Cups.

Glover won world gold with Polly Swann last year but reunited with Stanning in April when the 29-year-old returned to the squad following a stint in the Army.

The men's four just missed out on a world record, but clinched the gold medal they had been aiming for after a stellar season.

The quartet only formed a partnership in April but have since gone on to win the European title followed by two World Cup gold medals.

They faced pressure from the USA at 1,000m but upped their stroke rate in the second half of the race, just missing out on breaking the world record.

The men's quadruple sculls crew of Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins and Peter Lambert just missed out on gold to Ukraine

The men's quad of Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend, Charles Cousins and Peter Lambert were involved in a thrilling race-long battle for victory with Ukraine.

But despite a big push in the final 500m, they were pipped to the line by less than 0.1 seconds.

Matt Langridge and James Foad pushed Eric Murray and Hamish Bond hard in the first 500m, but then dropped back as the New Zealanders powered away to win their sixth world title and second of the regatta.

Meanwhile, Kat Copeland and Imogen Walsh bounced back from getting knocked out in the semi-finals by winning the lightweight double 'B' final.

Britain's medal tally for the regatta now stands at two golds, three silvers and a bronze to go with the gold and silver won by the para-rowers.