BROMSGROVE rower Lauren Rowles took silver in her first international race since becoming a Paralympic champion at Rio 2016.

Rowles and her Rio partner Laurence Whiteley finished second to the Netherlands in the mixed double scull at the World Rowing Cup in Poznan last weekend.

It was Rowles’ first race over 2,000m since World Rowing voted to double the distance rowed in Para-rowing events in February. And she says the favourable conditions in Poland on Saturday certainly helped with the challenge.

“You take the conditions as they come in rowing, you’re racing in open water, but it’s just lucky it was a tail wind out there rather than a head wind,” she said.

“It was a good solid performance today. It hasn’t been the easiest winter and we know we’ve got a long way to come but we also know how much potential there is in this boat. Racing 2km is just another challenge we’ll take on.”

Rowles and Whiteley now look ahead to their main goal of the season – the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, at the end of September. There, Great Britain will look to back up their Paralympic Games performance, where they finished top of the medal table.

“Coming off the back of Rio there was a great squad environment. To win three golds and a bronze was incredible and that was based on the strong bond we had as a squad,” she said. “Looking to Florida we’ll hopefully have some new faces and build that bond again and produce some strong performances out there.”

Anyone inspired to take up rowing this summer can visit britishrowing.org/go-rowing to find a local club.