In all 14 A-finals took place today as well as a number of B-finals, on what was a packed day of action.

Italy had qualified fastest for the women’s coxed four final, but it was Ukraine that started the quickest in the final.

The hosts the Czech Republic were not far behind, but at the half way point they suddenly rowed out of their lane and stopped.

Italy, with their crew of Massaria, Baudino, Giuliani and Aguemang-Heard then took the lead and moved away to win in 7mins 14.190secs.

Australia, with their crew of Ella Mentzines, Laura Chancello, Lauren Graham and Isabelle Furrer, finished second in 7:16.920, while the United States finished third another second behind.

Nadine Agyemang-Heard afterwards called it an amazing race.

“We didn’t really have a good start but we managed to build a lot of speed through the middle. We kept accelerating and managed to overtake everyone.”

Italy were largely expected to take the men’s final as well, having entered the competition as the defending champions.

They promptly sealed the win once again, ahead of the United States and Australia, in 6:17.490.

One of their crew members Alessandro Calder called it a “wonderful” win.

“We knew we were going to suffer at the start but we built well during the middle today,” he said.

“At 1000m I shouted for us to go.

“I saw the others slowing and we managed to pass.”

Unlike on the women’s side, the men’s competition featured a B final as well, which was won by Canada in 6:25.390.

In the men’s pair final, Lithuania had qualified slowest but started very quickly with a stroke rate of 53.

Just like in their semi-final though they were unable to maintain it and the title was eventually taken by Romania in a photo finish with Germany.

They took it by just 100^th of a second in 6:32.390.

Croatia, the previous champions, finished third.

The women’s pair meanwhile was won by Greece, who comfortably fought off a challenge from the United States to take that title.

The junior women’s four was taken by the United States though, who finished third in the class last year.

Just three second separated the top five boats, but though it was close, the US lead from early on and sealed the gold in 6:42.810.

The men’s four saw Great Britain take their first win of the day.

The crew of Michael Dalton, Douwe De Graaf, Calvin Tarczy and Theodore Darlow won by four seconds in 5:52.790, ahead of New Zealand’s crew, who crossed the line in 5:56.200.

The first sculls final of the day, the junior women’s quadruple sculls, was won by Switzerland, ahead of the German crew who set a new junior world’s best time earlier in the competition.

The Germans started fastest and had a half a boat length lead at one stage but seemed to run out of steam by the end, eventually finishing second by almost a second.

Switzerland, last year’s bronze medallists, came home in 6:25.820.

The hosts took their first gold of the day in the men’s quadruple sculls, which was expected after their crew of Valcav Baldrian, Tomas Sisma, Radim Hladik and Marek Rehorek set a new junior world best time earlier in the competition.

They won the final by a comfortable two second margin over Great Britain, finishing in 5:51.810.

The last three sculls events, the junior women’s double, junior men’s double and junior men’s single, were won by China, Germany and the United States respectively, while the final races of the day, the men’s and women’s eight races, were won by the hosts Great Britain and the hosts the Czech Republic respectively.