GB's women's quad repeated as World Cup winners

Great Britain's defending champions will aim to put inconsistency behind them at the World Rowing Championships.

The men's coxless four is back in its best line-up as Alex Partridge - who missed the World Cup defeat in Lucerne - returns from injury in Munich.

And the women's quadruple scull meet China for the first time since losing to them in Amsterdam in June.

"Both of these leading boats have had their scares this year," admitted GB performance director David Tanner.

"Each will know the severity of the task in hand",

"Munich will be a tough test for us, especially with the extra edge supplied by the fight for Olympic qualifying places".

A record field of 1,285 athletes are entered in all, representing 68 nations.

Great Britain, who won the season-long World Cup event for the first time this year, have more strength in depth than ever before.

But the World Championships tend to be the only time when every nation attends, with their best combinations.

The four of Partridge, Andy Hodge, Peter Reed, and Steve Williams know their toughest challengers will be New Zealand and the Netherlands.

They were beaten by both crews in the final World Cup event with Tom James substituting for Partridge, who was recovering from knee trouble.

Campbell and Drysdale will do battle again in Munich

Meanwhile the women's quad, stroked by double Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger, have this year only been troubled by China.

They were beaten into second place by Russia in last year's World Championships at Eton, only to be awarded gold after a failed drugs test.

Single sculler Alan Campbell will again clash with New Zealand's Mahe Drysdale, his training partner, who he beat at Henley but lost to in Lucerne.

Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham have been consistent medal-winners in the double scull since taking bronze a year ago.

Lightweights Zac Purchase - a winner in the single last year - and Mark Hunter have impressed on their debut season in the double, bettered only by Denmark in the World Cup.

And the lightweight men's four of James Clarke, Paul Mattick, James Lindsay-Fynn and Richard Chambers have high expectations after taking Britain's first World Cup gold in the event.

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The men's pair of Colin Smith and Matt Langridge must reproduce their gold-winning form from the World Cup opener in Linz, rather than the disappointing showings since.

Similarly, both the men's and women's eights will look for the form that has seen them take podium spots during the World Cup season.

There could be a surprise showing from the newly formed women's double scull.

Anna Bebington - fourth in the event last year - has just returned from injury to join up with 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Elise Laverick.