How good was Great Britain's Silver Saturday?

Watching from the bank with the BBC TV crew was five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, who gave Grainger a huge hug when she got off the water.

Grainger came close to pulling off a shock victory in Poznan

"It's difficult to take the highlight away from a gold medal," he said. "But Kath Grainger put in an outstanding performance. The single is the toughest of all events.

"I've got a soft spot for Kath because she was on the team when I was competing."

Grainger was on the same place on the podium but the contrast was marked between the grin here and the tears when her quad were denied by China in last year's Olympic final.

She has already justified her decision to carry on for another four years, aiming to end her run of three successive Olympic silvers with victory at London 2012.

Less happy were Andy Hodge and Pete Reed, gold medallists a year ago in the four but now pushed into second place by New Zealand, even though they pushed the Kiwis far harder than they have all season.

After he and Hamish Bond were pushed to within 1.7 seconds of the world best time set by Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell in 2002, Eric Murray had to be helped from the boat, and Redgrave strode over to shake his hand.

"The GB pair did very well. It's disappointing to see multi-world champions and Olympic champions not staying at that level but this was an outstanding New Zealand pair," said Sir Steve.

New Zealand have been impressive this season, after a disappointing showing in Beijing and with the World Championships set to take place there next year, but there is a sense that GB will slowly close the gap.

You couldn't wipe the smiles off the faces of the men's four, or their coach Mark Banks, who endured having to make do with silver, along with three of this crew in the eight in Beijing.

He revealed that a new format for their start had given them a better platform, and was then lifted off his feet by Alex Partridge, who will hope that he can end his string of disappointments and take gold in his third Olympiad with the squad.

The debate over the GB sweep squad's best combination has not gone away all year and it will intensify now, with Tom James from the Beijing four set to return after a year out and veteran Steve Williams likely to join him.

Given the six currently competing, Redgrave said: "It's difficult because in some ways you want your best athletes in the boat with the best gold medal chance.

"If you put Andy and Pete in the four it would be faster but then the pair would probably not be of medal potential.

"But there are two more world championships to go before London and several athletes have taken a year out."

The women's combinations will also be interesting, as Grainger could now consider continuing with what had originally been a one-year learning experience in the single.

Annabel Vernon was alongside Grainger in the quad last year and was consigned to silver once more, barely able to walk after she and her best friend Anna Bebington ran home crew Poland all the way to the line.

Bebington has a call of "toothpaste legs" in mid-race to make sure they squeeze out all their power, and their push did just that.

Vernon was barely able to walk from the boating pontoon and joked wryly: "I don't think I'll be up for dancing tonight."

Meanwhile Bebington had to balance disappointment with her pleasure at going one better than she did with a different partner in Beijing and winning her first world silver.

Sculler Alan Campbell had a muted celebration too, pleased at having won his first world medal after promising much for the last four years but disappointed not to have gained the extra half-length he needed to prevent Mahe Drysdale winning his fourth world title.

Campbell does much of his training on the tidal Thames, the choppy conditions in a strong tailwind at the finish here proving it an ideal preparation to win Great Britain's first world sculling silver since Stuart MacKenzie in 1962.

Watch highlights of Alan Campbell's race (UK users only)

A group of his club-mates from Tideway Scullers School, who travelled from London to Poland in a minibus to cheer him on, threw him flag in the club's red, yellow and white, in the pattern of the union flag, which he unfurled on the podium.

"It might not have been a Super Saturday but with two sculling singles in was pretty magical," said Redgrave.

"At the beginning of the day I would have said four medals and we've got five. You've got to be disappointed for the individuals but overall it's a great day."

The final day's racing is set to be Slimmer Sunday, with medals on offer for both the men's and women's lightweight doubles, although the men's eight also expect to make the podium, which should put GB atop the medal table.