Oxfordshire para-rower Frankie Allen was left beaming after striking gold on World Championship debut.

The Brightwell-cum-Sotwell star romped to victory alongside Gierdre Rakauskaite in the PR3 women’s pair in Račice, Czech Republic. 

Allen, 20, only joined Britain’s unparalleled Paralympic squad this year and added global gold to August’s European title.

She said: “It's quite surreal. If you'd have asked me a year ago what I'd be doing in a year's time, I wouldn’t have believed you. 

“It’s just amazing. It's just so good that all our hard work for the whole year has just paid off and I'm really happy with how we performed.” 

Allen and Paralympic champion Rakauskaite opened up a three-second lead on Australian and Italian rivals within the first 500m of the 2000m race. 

They were far stronger and longer than the other two boats in the final and extended to claim victory by a yawning 13-second margin, crossing the line in a time of 07:50.89. 

This was a third world title for Rakauskaite, 31, who praised her younger crewmate.

She said: “I think we managed to stay calm and consistent. We managed to better our race plan from the heat a couple of days ago. 

“Frankie did really well with the steering, very straight, I loved it.” 

Allen was equally fulsome in hailing the value of her team-mate’s experience. 

She said: “I think especially for my first races it was really helpful to have Gierdre with me. 

“I got myself so worked up about it and overthinking it. She calms me down so much - I’m there babbling away and she just flattens it all out.”

The pair will now step into the all-conquering British PR3 mixed coxed four who have won every available world title since 2013. 

They will be joined by Oliver Stanhope, Edward Fuller and Morgan Baynham-Williams who is deputising for regular cox Erin Kennedy while she undergoes chemotherapy.

Rakauskaite believes her and Allen’s feats in the pair will help the four’s attempts to continue their incredible unbeaten streak.

She said: “Doing both events is a refreshing challenge. It really helps with the training and then going back into the four. 

“There’s a lot more independence and we’re so strong as a squad we can always mix and match with the pair.” 

British Rowing is responsible for the development of rowing in England and the training and selection of rowers to represent Great Britain. The GB Rowing Team is supported by the National Lottery Sports Fund. To find out more, and to follow the ongoing World Championships in Racice, head to https://www.britishrowing.org/