TOM James and Great Britain’s flagship boat laid down a marker for this summer’s Olympic Games with a gold-medal winning performance in the opening race in the World Cup series.
Former King’s School student James and his men’s four crewmates moved through the gears to see off the challenge of Greece to taste victory at the Belgrade event.
James, 28, a reigning Olympic and world champion in the four, said: “We can improve but this was a good starting point and it shows we are quick.
“There will be increased expectations on us now but we are ready for that. We are just concentrating on what we can do and not worrying about the opposition.”
There were also success for three others local rowers in Serbia.
Chris Bartley, 28, from Farndon, was part of the GB lightweight men’s four that won silver.
There were bronze medals for Vicky Thornley and Olivia Whitlam.
Thornley, 24, helped the GB women’s quadruple scull to third, although the former Bishop Heber High School and Abbey Gate College student said she was ‘disappointed with bronze but we are only going to improve’.
Whitlam, who like Bartley and James used to attend The King’s School Chester, was part of the women’s eight which finished third.
GB won the event with 79 points and 12 medals from 12 finals.
