PETE REED’s bid to complete his set of major rowing gold medals has ended in disappointment in Poznan, Poland.

A European Championship gold was the one nagging omission from Reed’s glittering CV which includes four world titles and two Olympic golds, but he and his much-fancied GB team-mates took silver behind arch-rivals Germany in the final of the men’s eight.

All medal hopes were put on hold when they could finish only third behind Russia and the Netherlands in their heat. But a much improved display in the repechage saw them coming home ahead of France and the home nation to earn a place in the final.

While not the overall colour of medal that the eight might covet, as reigning world champions, they rowed well before holding off Russia in the last 150 metres to grab the silver – a spectacular turnaround from their poor performance in the heats.

The boat has a heavy Gloucestershire influence with former Cirencester Deer Park pupil Reed being joined by Alex Gregory from Wormington and Chipping Campden’s Matt Gotrel.

The GB Rowing Team secured a spectacular medal tally of 10 medals at the European Championships on Sunday, moving from the two golds of a year ago to six, of which four came in Olympic-class events.

The 52-strong squad defended the men’s four and women’s pair golds from last year and added new winners in the lightweight women’s double, men’s open and lightweight pairs and the lightweight women’s single scull.