Rowing: Anna the double golden girl after making World Cup mark

ANNA Bebington reinforced her status as one of the world's elite rowers after claiming double gold in the opening World Cup regatta in Spain last weekend.

The Olympic bronze medallist topped the podium in the women's double skulls before taking a second gold as part of the women's quad scull.

Bebington was given a new partner in the double skulls after Elise Laverick – who took third in Beijing last August alongside Bebington – announced her retirement last winter.

Selectors opted to reunite the Moorlands rower with Annabel Vernon. The two women won the World Cup in 2006 and began that campaign by taking the opening regatta of the season.

And they repeated that feat in emphatic fashion on Sunday.

The British pair qualified straight through to the final by winning their heat. They were challenged heavily in the middle of the race by Italian duo Laura Schiavone and Elisabetta Sancassani, but held their lead to win by a gap amounting to almost three seconds.

Bebington and Vernon were into their stroke right from the start in the final and reached the 500m point in 1.44.33 to open up a two-second advantage over the Belarussian pair Anastasiya Fadzeyenka and Katsiaryna Shliupskaya.

The British pair ignored the rest of the field and concentrated on setting a powerful rhythm throughout the race.

Poland's Julia Michalska and Agata Gramatyka were next to challenge the British rowers – moving up to second by half distance and reaching the 1,000m mark less than two seconds behind Bebington and Vernon.

The Poles closed up to within 1.32 seconds by the 1,500m mark. But the pair were a spent force in the closing stages and the Italian duo passed them.

Schiavone and Sancassani gave their best in the final 500m, but could get no closer than 2.18 seconds as the British women crossed the line to win in 7.07.88.

Bebington said after the race: "I really love racing in the double, and it's great to start the season in a fast boat."

Vernon added: "We knew that we had enough to win – the last 100m was comfortable."

The pair now return to the River Thames for more training ahead of the remaining two World Cup regattas in Munich between June 19 and June 21 and Lucerne, Switzerland, from July 10 to July 12.