TOM Digby crowned a World Championship to savour for Britain’s rowers by helping the men’s eight defend their title.

The Sonning Common rower combined with Jacob Dawson, Rory Gibbs, Sholto Carnegie, Morgan Bolding, Charlie Elwes, James Rudkin, Tom Ford and coxswain Harry Brightmore to add to the European title they won in May.

Digby’s crew were beaten by Australia in their last World Cup outing but turned the tables in style to earn Britain’s sixth gold of the regatta, banking an Olympic quota place for the boat at the same time.

“We had a process, a race plan and really executed that,” Gibbs said.

“We learned a lot from the last World Cup, there are a lot of races in a season and we were wilting a couple of months ago but we have really pulled our socks up in the last few weeks. We have really come together.

“In a race like that, with that sort of competition, not only have you got to deliver your best race physically, you also have to execute it as well as you can technically, which is a tall order. We have done that.

“The job is not quite done, we have the Olympics next year, but for now we will celebrate this win and build towards next season.”

Digby, 25, helped the British eight finish more than a second clear of the Netherlands in Belgrade and will now enjoy a break before the battle for Olympic selection begins in earnest.

Competition is set to be tough following a World Championships which saw Britain take home nine medals in all, enough for second in the medal table.

“We knew it would be spicy with Olympic qualification on the line,” Carnegie added.

“But we really believed in what Harry [Brightmore] was saying, responded to it and stuck together as a unit.

“It has been a tough season but we have stuck together, kept pushing forwards and kept learning all the time.

“It is always harder to retain a title than to get one and you learn a lot about yourself.

“Charlie [Elwes] was out injured for lots of it, him coming back was really positive but we still had to rebuild the unit again. This has taken took real grit.”

British Rowing is the governing body for the sport and is responsible for the development of rowing in England and the training and selection of rowers to represent Great Britain. The GB Rowing Team is supported by the National Lottery Sports Fund. To find out more, and to follow the team, head to https://www.britishrowing.org/