No rower from the city club had ever won an event at Henley. Indeed, until last year when Fox and Neill recorded a second place finish, no-one had even made it past the quarter-finals.

That was in the Fawley Challenge Cup, a quad event for rowers aged under 19, but Fox (16) and Neill (18) – who rowed with Johnny Walton (Leicester) and George Caines (Nottingham) – justified favouritism in the same event this year.

But progress to the gold medals was fraught with drama and tension as the local lads, whose crew were the number one seeds, were involved in a rare rowing dead heat in their quarter-final against William Borlase Grammar School and Leander Rowing Club on Saturday.

There hadn't been a dead heat at Henley for seven years but a quirk of the draw meant that the top two seeded teams met at the last eight stage and they produced a real humdinger of a race.

There was rarely more than half-a-length between the boats all race, but the City boys thought they had just lasted home before the judges declared a tie. That meant another race two hours later which the local crew won by a length.

The road to glory had started on Friday with a comfortable win over Wallingford Rowing Club in the first round.

But the quarter-final re-run meant three races on Saturday with the combined Peterborough, Leicester and Nottingham crew facing a much fresher American quad from Malvern Prep School in the semi-final later in the day.

But the English crews' fitness proved impressive as they powered to a one-and-three-quarter length win to earn a final place against Marlow Rowing Club yesterday.

And the winners saved the best until last by recording the competition's fastest time of 7.10 over a distance just in excess of 2,000m.

Fox attends Jack Hunt School, while Neill is a pupil at King's School. Almost 50 countries were represented at the regatta which regularly attracts crowds in the thousands.

Fox, the reigning Evening Telegraph junior sportsman of the year, now moves on to a Great Britain trial at Nottingham on Wednesday when he will be alongside schoolmate Tom Chung in a double scull.

The pair are hoping to win a place in the GB team competing in an international meeting in France at the weekend.



Results

First round: Beat Wallingford RC, 1 3/4 lengths, 7.12.

Quarter final: Beat William Borlase's GS & Leander Club, 1 length, 7.57 (re-race after a dead heat).

Semi-final: Beat Malvern Preparatory School, USA, 1 3/4 lengths, 7.53

Final: Beat Marlow RC, 1 length, 7.10.