It was the third successive year that the Italian team finished at the top of the standings after bagging nine medals over the two days.

Four of their five titles came yesterday after a week hit by schedule changes caused by searing heat in Plovdiv.

Italy first tasted success in the men’s coxed four as they clocked a winning time of 6min 9.19sec to see off defending champions Great Britain and the United States.

Serena Mossi and Elisa Grisoni joined forces to win lightweight women’s pair gold for Italy in 7:24.15, while the Italian team of Maria Sole Perugino, Anita Gnassi, Maria Zerboni and Giulia Clerici captured the lightweight women’s quadruple sculls title.

Italy followed that success by winning lightweight men’s quadruple sculls gold as Paolo Gregori, Ernesto Rabatti, Emanuele Castino and Tommaso Rossi crossed the finish line in 5:54.50 to edge Germany by two seconds.

Giovanni Borgonovo delivered Italy’s fifth and final gold today when he came from behind to win the lightweight men’s single sculls crown.

Trailing in fourth at the halfway stage, Borgonovo battled back to triumph in 6:48.04 as New Zealand’s Finlay Hamill came second in 6:48.76 and Denmark’s Ramus Lind placed third in 6:49.10.

Britain finished second in the overall standings after claiming a hat-trick of titles.

Miles Beeson won his third successive world under-23 gold after teaming up with Harry Geffen to win the men’s pair title in 6:32.43.

The victory adds to his success in the eight in 2021 and win in the four in 2022.

James Forward, Theodore Bell, Jake Wincomb and Iwan Hadfield helped Britain retain the men’s four crown.

It was a thrilling final as Britain traded places with Australia before prevailing by 2.72 in 5:47.08.

Britain also defended their men’s eight title as they climbed from fifth at 500m to win in 5:26.51, while the United States sealed silver in 5:28.90 and Germany bagged bronze in 5:28.99.

A total of 22 nations picked up gold medals, with Germany, Poland and the US all claiming two gold medals.

Poland's Piotr Plominski came through to win men’s single sculls gold in 6:54.79, before their second victory came in the women’s four in 6:33.99 following a strong challenge from Chile.

The US won titles in the women’s eight and lightweight women’s pair, while both of Germany’s golds came today after triumphing in the lightweight men’s doubles sculls and men’s quadruple sculls, respectively.

Romania won the last gold of yesterday’s action as they secured the women’s quadruple sculls crown - a year after missing out on top spot by a mere 0.5 seconds.

Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Janzen also upgraded her silver from 2022 to gold when she powered to the women’s sculls title.

Elis Özbay delivered a gold medal for Turkey after winning the lightweight women’s single sculls final, while Australia won the women’s coxed four crown and Martyna Kazlausakite and Kamile Kralikaite steered Lithuania to success in the women’s pair.

There was also a gold medal for Greek pair Dimitra Eleni Kontou and Evangelia Anastasiadou, who posted a Championship record time of 6:50.13 to seal the lightweight women’s double sculls title.