THE pressure is on when everyone assumes you are going to win and Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell, the world champions, faced this in their first coxless pairs final of the year in the World Cup in Milan on Saturday.

The Italians produced their expected fast first 500 metres and led, and the Skelin brothers from Croatia were on a par with Britain. Most then expected the power of Pinsent and Cracknell to prevail but the situation was largely unchanged at 1,500 metres and, ominously, the British were already striking 40 strokes a minute, three more than the Croatians. It was Croatia who had something to spare for the run-in and produced it as Britain lost the silver to Italy.

Cracknell and Pinsent have come back from defeat in the past, and Pinsent said on Saturday that there is plenty of time to put things right, but the post-race debate will note that the 6min 20sec clocked by Croatia is just six seconds outside Pinsent and Cracknell’s world record, and it is only May.

Britain ended the regatta with another bronze and a silver in the World Cup events and one gold for Jo Hammond in the women’s lightweight singles. The silver came for Cath Bishop and Kath Grainger in the women’s pairs, while the men’s coxless four finished third behind Germany and Italy.

Ian Lawson excelled in a single, finishing fourth in the six-boat final, in which he was the only non-world or nonOlympic medal-winner.

• Pembroke created rowing history on Saturday on the last day of the Oxford University Summer Eights. Their men’s and women’s first crews won the headship of the two top divisions, a feat never achieved by a college in the same year.