Huang races past Aggar for gold at Eton Dorney

“The first part, I went at normal speed, but from the 250m mark I started using all my energy and I had good control."

On the final race day for rowing, Eton Dorney witnessed a slew of top races, including a gold-medal performance by world-record holder Cheng Huang in the men’s singles sculls ASM1x A final, ending the championship reign of Great Britain’s Tom Aggar, who did not receive a podium place.

Huang, who recorded a top time of 4:52.36 revealed that he just followed the gameplan that had been set out for him.

He said: “The first part, I went at normal speed, but from the 250m mark I started using all my energy and I had good control."

Erik Horrie of Australia won silver and Aleksey Chuvashev of Russia picked up the bronze.

Going into the race, Aggar was undefeated at international events since 2007, but he could not replicate that performance as the other competitors came out stronger.

Disappointed in front of a home crowd, Aggar admitted it just was not his day.

"I'm devastated,” he said. “Going into it, I was the favourite on paper, I could hardly move at the finish, I thought I would be in the medals.

“I’d been producing some of best times coming into the race, but it just wasn’t my day.”

Alla Lysenko showed why she is both the world and Paralympic record holder, as she clinched first place in the A final of the women’s single sculls ASW1x.

The Ukrainian left the other competitors in her wake and picked up a consecutive gold medal with a time of 5:35.29.

She showed no signs of being fazed by being tipped to dominate coming into the race.

“I don't like to be the favourite, to be the leader,” she said. “I like to keep it simple and be calm, I just start and finish."

In the same race, Nathalie Benoit of France was able to edge out Belarus’ Liudmila Vauchok and claim the silver medal, with Vauchok settling for bronze.

China claimed another rowing gold medal, as their world record holding crew of Xiaoxian Lou and Tianming Fei beat the French boat to the finish line in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls final TAMix2x. The Chinese finished in 3:57.63, almost six seconds ahead of French duo Stephane Tardieu and Perle Bouge.

The USA’s Oksana Masters and Rob Jones took third place to secure the bronze.

In the last race of the day, Great Britain’s crew, which included Pamela Relph, produced an impressive gold medal win in the mixed coxed four LTAMix4+ final, which triggered a rapturous sound of cheers from the stands.

Germany rowed their way to a silver medal finish and the Ukrainian crew claimed the bronze medal, as 2008 gold medallists Italy missed out on a podium place.

In addition to the A finals, there was also exciting action delivered by the four B final races.

The Republic of Korea’s Jongrye Lee dominated in the B final of women’s single sculls class, as she was first from beginning to finish, with Sandra Khumalo of South Africa took second place.

In the men’s single sculls B final, Juan Barcia Alonso of Spain led the race right up to the 750m mark, when his strapping came undone and the other rowers overtook him, leaving the Spaniard to settle with a third place finish.

New Zealand’s Danny Mcbride was first to finish with American Ronald Harvey following shortly behind to take second spot.

The Ukrainian duo were able to overcome tough competition as they came in first place in the mixed double sculls B final, with Brazil and Israel coming in second and third, respectively.

In the LTA mixed coxed four final B competition, the Canadian boat fought off the French crew for first place and the Brazilian team grabbed a third-place finish.