BETH Willford-Dutton played a part to help Great Britain’s juniors claim overall honours at the Coupe de la Jeunesse for the first time since 2013.

The Northwich Rowing Club member set the tone for her teammates when she helped the women’s eight to victory in impressive style during Friday’s opener.

A further 23 medals, 14 of them gold, followed over the course of the weekend.

“Watching Beth stood on the podium listening to the national anthem was a special moment,” said Rachel Hooper, the teenager’s coach.

“Her determination to succeed is evident and, with another season left as a junior, I’m confident she will be one to watch at next year’s world championships.”

Willford-Dutton, a student at Sir John Deane’s College, was part of a 51-strong squad that travelled to Poznan for an annual event that attracts the best under 18s from a dozen European nations.

She also took to the water in a single sculls race for spares on both days, winning twice in times that were better than her rivals in the main event.

“Beth has ended the season with three of the best races in her career so far,” added Hooper, who was part of the Great Britain’s party as Willford-Dutton’s coach.

“We all hope that one day she can follow in the footsteps of Matthew Langridge, who started his journey at Northwich.”

Great Britain dominated in Poland, recording the biggest winning margin ever – 82 points clear of Italy in second – and topping both the men’s and women’s standings.

“It was very much a collective effort – everybody played to their strengths and focused on being positive,” said Robin Dowell, lead coach for the British team.

“There is a lot of potential in this group; quite a few of the rowers will still be in the junior ranks next year, so there’s plenty more to come from them.”