Henry leads GB rowing gold rush at European Championships

Great Britain surged to the top of the medal standings with five gold medals on the final day of the European Rowing Championships in Bulgaria.

Lauren Henry, a reigning Olympic champion in the women's quadruple sculls, won gold in her first senior international regatta in the single sculls.

And a new-look GB crew continued their domination in the women's quadruple sculls, without Henry in the boat, as they defended their European title in Plovdiv.

Britain also claimed a first ever men's quadruple sculls gold, while both the men's and women's boats won gold in the eights to take GB's total medal tally for the regatta to six gold, a silver and two bronze medals.

Germany were second in the medal standings with five golds and one silver.

"It's very, very special," said Henry, 23, after following up her British record time in the heats with victory in Sunday's final.

"I wanted to come here and make a mark and make a name for myself and I feel like I've done that.

"I want to be world champion, I want to be Olympic champion, I want to break the world best time, I want to be the most successful British single sculler ever. That's my aim. I've still got many years to go but watch this space."

Sunday's gold rush followed four medals for the British team on Saturday.

Paralympic champion Benjamin Pritchard won the PR1 men's single sculls in a new world-record time of eight minutes 40.38 seconds, while Sam Murray and Annie Caddick claimed silver in the PR3 mixed double.

There were also bronze medals for GB in the women's four, and Eleanor Brinkhoff and Megan Slabbert in the women's pair.