Rowing: Campbell pays for his early pace

Britain's Alan Campbell led the first half of the World Cup single sculls here at a suicidal pace, only to be overhauled after half- way by the world champion, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand.

Drysdale controlled the race from that point to the line, with Campbell's customary finishing charge having little effect. Campbell was eight seconds quicker over the first half of the course than the second.

The British women's quadruple scullers, stroked by the newly gonged Katherine Grainger MBE, took command of their final to retain the yellow jerseys which they won in the first round. China, who forced the British into the repêchage round by beating them in a heat, finished narrowly second.

The men's coxless four were Britain's other winners yesterday, showing dominant power in their new seating order.

The double scullers Matt Wells and Steve Rowbotham, the lightweight double scullers James Lindsay-Fynn and Mark Hunter and the women's eight won bronze medals, bringing the medals total to six.

The men's eight would have had a good chance if they had not been disqualified in the semi-final for a steering infringement caused by a broken rudder.