LOCAL rowers continue to win medals on the international stage at the senior and under 23 World Championships in Rotterdam, writes John Wiggins.

Wallingford RC featured with four of their lightweight sculling squad in the medals.

Brianna Stubbs and Ellie Piggott, competing in the quad scull, dominated the final to come home for gold ahead of Germany and China.

Other senior gold medals were won by the men's coxed pair with Ollie Cooke, formerly of Abingdon School, while former Headington School pupil Fiona Gammon returned from college in the United States to win gold at bow in the four.

It was frustration though for Oxford Brookes' Joel Cassells, whose year-long unbeaten run in the lightweight pair came to an end after he was edged into bronze in a blanket finish.

The under 23 team came away with two gold, two silver and one bronze medal and while the region didn't feature at the top of the podium, there was silver lining from both eights.

Again it was experience from Abingdon and Headington respectively that helped GB to success with Cambridge Blue, Ian Middleton and Newcastle University's Sasha Adwani driving the boats from the coxswain's seat.

The men's crew benefitted from a number of US college returnees, including Oxford's Sholto Carnegie, while outgoing Oxford president, Maddy Batcock, featured in the women's boat

The bronze medal came for Ben Reeves (Oxford Brookes) in the lightweight four while other finalists were Oxford Blue, Lauren Kedar (fourth in women's four) and the fifth-placed men's coxed four dominated by Brookes men Rory Gibbs, Matt Aldridge, Michael Glover and cox, Harry Brightmore.