EMILY Ford reached a final on her senior international debut wearing Great Britain’s colours following a series of impressive performances.

The former Grange School student, contesting the women’s pair along with Leander Club teammate Emily Ashford, took sixth place at the World Cup in Belgrade.

They had qualified for the A final by a comfortable margin, with a two-length advantage over Ireland, after finishing third in their semi-final on Saturday.

Ford, 23, and Ashford saved their best performance of the weekend until last when they crossed the line in 7.19.67.

Every British crew that competed on Sunday classified within the top eight in their boat class.

That included the men’s four, stroked by Emily’s older brother Tom, who were fifth in a tightly-contested final.

He was joined by James Johnston, Callum McBrierty – a substitute after Adam Neill withdrew through illness – and Jacob Dawson in an all-Leander line-up.

Theirs had been the fastest boat during qualifying, recording a victory in both their heat and in the semi-finals.

However the British combination trailed gold-medallists Netherlands by three seconds in the final with Belarus and a second Dutch crew occupying the other podium positions.

Tom is in his second campaign with the men’s sweep squad after making his first appearance, like Emily, in Serbia 12 months earlier.

On that occasion he claimed a silver medal as part of an eight.

“It has been a solid opening regatta of 2018 for British crews, who came up against some strong opposition,” said Brendan Purcell, British Rowing’s new director of performance.

Netherlands topped the medals table with seven golds, two silvers and a bronze after three days of racing along the Ada Ciganlija regatta course on Sava Lake.

That put them top of the standings, on 60 points, ahead of Great Britain in second and Germany in third.

A second regatta of the World Cup series is scheduled for three weeks’ time in Austria.

Results

World Rowing Cup I

Belgrade, Serbia

A finals

Sunday, June 3

Men’s four

1, Netherlands II 5.51.05; 2, Netherlands I 5.52.41; 3, Belarus 5.52.42; 4, Germany 5.53.23; 5, Great Britain (James Johnston, Callum McBrierty, Jacob Dawson and Tom Ford) 5.54.56; 6, Austria 5.57.09

Women’s pair

1, Canada 6.58.88; 2, Spain 7.04.23; 3, Netherlands 7.04.40; 4, Great Britain I (Anastasia Chitty, Rebecca Girling) 7.05.48; 5, Denmark 7.17.03; 6, Great Britain II (Emily Ford, Emily Ashford) 7.19.67