ROWING sensation Matthew Langridge became a world champion at the weekend.

He struck gold at the World Junior Championships in Duisburg, Germany, and is the first British rower to win in the single sculls at the event.

Matthew, of Northwich Rowing Club, came through to win after an epic battle with Australian Scott Brannan in Saturday's final.

After storming away at the start, Matthew was caught up at the halfway stage of the 2000-metre Olympic course and pushed back to second.

Brannan then led the way for 500 metres, but as expected, Langridge produced a final drive for the line in the last quarter of the race.

Once he overtook the powerful Australian with 500 metres to go, there was no looking back for the 18-year-old, who won by four seconds.

Behind silver medallist Brannan was a former world champion in third pace, home rower Harold Heller, who triumphed in last year's quadruple sculls.

Unlike the final itself, Langridge's route there was fairly smooth. He won comfortably in his heat on Wednesday and in the semi-final on Friday.

His coach at Northwich, Paul Rafferty said: "We know that Matthew has built a reputation for having a lightning start so the opposition knew he would go off quickly.

"We watched the Australian in his heat and were expecting him to stick with Matthew for the first 1000 metres before making a push and that's what he did.

"Matthew isn't used to being under pressure because of his quick start, but it happened at Munich when he went clear in the last 500 metres, so we were all confident he could do it again.

"There's never been any doubt that he's an exceptional talent, but in the circumstances of a world championship and the way people develop between the ages of 17 and 18, you never know."

Northwich chairman Kevin Jump added: "People were choked at the weekend. Most of us have known Matthew since he was 13 and what he's doing now is unbelievable. I think it's only just starting to sink in for him."

On Thursday Matthew travels to Lucerne in Switzerland for the senior world championships.

He achieved this honour at the promise of Britain's Olympic coach Jurgen Hoebler, who named Matthew as the team's spare rower as reward for a junior world medal.

Another Northwich rower took to the waters of Duisbuirg to perform heroically in the coxless quads.

Sian Murray, 17, was in the crew which finished last in the final, but even getting this far was beyond all expectation.