PHILIP Evans of East Sheen gained a gold medal in the junior eight in the World Junior Rowing Championships in Athens, Greece, on Saturday - the first time a British eight has ever won (writes TONY FLOOD).

The 17-year-old Philip was rowing with two other former pupils at St. Paul’s School, Barnes, in Andrew Haigh of Chiswick and Nick Downing from Kensington.

The eight, which was completed by Oliver Moore, Alex Stenning, David Lambourne, Jamie Anderson and Charlie Smith plus cox Nick Brodie, pipped America and Russia for the gold medals in 2 mins 43 secs over 1,000 metres.

A very strong tailwind saw several crews sink in the heats, including leaders Britain. This meant that they had to go into a repechage, but, with Haigh ill and being replaced by Ben Smith, Britain qualified in second place behind the USA.

Haigh recovered to take his place in the final so it was the same eight which won the open category at the national championships in Strathclyde earlier in the year. They are coached by Richard Hamilton, the former Olympian.