Double Olympic rowing champion Helen Glover marked her comeback to the sport after an absence of three years by winning gold at the European Championships in Varese, Italy.

Glover and partner Polly Swann, who has been working as a junior doctor in the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic, repelled a late push by second-placed Romania to win the women's pairs title.

Glover, who won Olympic gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016 along with Heather Stanning, who is now retired, is bidding to become the first British rower to win an Olympic medal after having children.

Glover told BBC Sport: "I was thinking, 'am I going to make it down the track?', and it's silly really because I do it in training every day.

"But just something about racing makes those doubts come to the surface. Now I've squashed those, I can look forward to being the athlete I am, and I want to be as well."

Victory in the competition also extended Glover's unbeaten Championship record which stretches back to 2012.