Britain’s rowers gained their first gold medal in the Olympic classes in the final event of the Amsterdam round of the World Cup, yesterday.

For the first time, Britain had two crews in the six crew lineup for the men’s eights final. One was Britain’s regular eight, who finished fifth in the first World Cup regatta in Linz, Austria, three weeks ago. The other was Jürgen Grobler’s “super” eight – a one-off – including the coxless four, who remained unbeaten for two years, and the new coxless pair, both gold medal-winners in Austria.

Doubts over the Britain coach’s innovation, which he described as “just a bit of fun”, were forgotten after the “super” eight won gold and the regular eight bronze.

In a high-class field, including Germany, the world champions, and China’s bronze medal-winning crew from the first World Cup, Britain’s crews led the field to 1,500 metres, the “super” eight in the lead. China pushed their rate to 44 well before the line to ease past the regular Britain eight. The “super” eight seems to have lit a spark under the regulars.

Britain won four silver medals during the day and the women’s squad, the world champions for the past two years, were locked in battle with China until halfway. Paul Thompson, the coach, said: “We knew the Chinese juggernaut was coming. We now know the standard we have got to work to.”

Britain’s other three silver medals in Olympic events were hard-earned. Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter again finished behind Denmark’s lightweight double sculls world champions, no disgrace for the developing Britain crew. The men’s lightweight four were second to China’s world champions, but ahead of the highly rated France. Steve Rowbotham’s and Matt Wells’s silver in the heavy double sculls was in a race in which they beat, among others, France’s world champions and Slovenia’s Olympic gold and silver medal-winners, the latter for the first time in a World Cup.

Alan Campbell raced bravely against the world’s best in the sculls final. He produced a blistering start to lead the field by a clear length at 500 metres and, although still in the pack at 1,500 metres, he had been overtaken by rivals including Olaf Tufte, Norway’s Olympic champion, and the world champion from New Zealand, Mahe Drysdale. Campbell had little left. “Alan had used most of his battery by then because he went too fast initially and was not helped by a slower outside lane,” Bill Barry, his coach, said.

Britain still lead the 32-nation medal table, with 102 points to China’s 96, going into the third and final World Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, from July 13 to 15.

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