The King's School Worcester girls' eight won the blue riband event, the Championship Eights, at the National Schools Regatta in Nottingham.

In a thrilling final at the National Watersports Centre, the King's crew pulled away in the first 1000 metres to a two length lead over Kingston Grammar School.

However, the Kingston crew fought back to a canvas with an impressive surge in the last 500 metres, King's taking the verdict by just 0.4 seconds.

Headington, the pre-race favourites with their crew containing six junior internationals, could not muster the aggressive determination of the King's and Kingston crews.

The King's coxswain, Harry Denlegh-Maxwell, drove the crew impressively. Aged 14, he has been invited to the last stage of the Great Britain trials, to be held later this month along with three of his crew.

Disappointed with his result last year after the boys' first eight missed out on a medal, Harry was delighted with the result, saying: "I had a score to settle on this lake."

Paul Sterckx, the King's coach, reflected after the race with a smile: "I've been coaching for seven years at King's for a moment like this."

Zac Purchase, in his lower sixth year at King's, won the Championship Single Sculls with an exhibition of controlled sculling. In a strong field, Purchase improved through the heats, leaving his best scull for the final.

The boys' senior squad was inevitably split, with Purchase focusing on the single.

However, the boys' quad produced an exceptional performance in the final of the Championship Quadruple Sculls, only to catch a crab 100 metres before the line.

The King's quad led the field to 500 metres with a flying start. The pre-race favourites, Leander Boat Club rowing as Henley College, powered through in the middle 1000m to lead the field.

Tiffin School, traditionally strong in this event, sculled through to win the silver. King's battled hard with Royal Chester for the bronze and looked the favourites with 100 metres left.

However a catastrophic slip in the closing stages allowed the Chester crew to slip through leaving the King's crew to dwell on what might have been.

The school also saw success in the junior events. The boys' Junior 16 Quad produced an excellent second half of the race to scull through local rivals Royal Grammar School to claim the bronze medal.

The stroke, Ben Maxwell, then went on to repeat his performance in the single and claim bronze in a hard fought final.

The boys' Junior 15 Eight won silver in the 'B' eights event, just losing to a powerful Cheltenham crew.

The eight then split into two quads. With 21 crews entered in 'B' quads and 29 entered in 'A' quads, the events were hotly contested.

Both crews reached the final, with the 'A' crew claiming bronze on the line.

The girls' Junior 15 quads had a tough day. The 'B' team had to withdraw due to an injury leaving the 'A' with the challenge of qualifying for the final.

The crew sculled through to the semi-final in tough, cross-headwind conditions. However, the semi-final saw the crew in the unfavoured lane one and they paid a heavy price, failing to qualify for the final despite a gutsy scull.

Headmaster Tim Keyes was delighted with the way the crews rowed. He said: "It is a wonderful achievement for a day school like King's to win so many medals at the most prestigious event in the schools' rowing calendar.

"We do not have the time that boarding schools can spend on the sport or the resources of, for instance, the London schools, and yet we are national champions in two events.

"The girls and boys have shown tremendous skill and determination to reach these heights and their coaches deserve medals too!"