Kim Brennan has won Australia’s sixth gold medal at the Rio Olympics, taking the title in the women’s single sculls in rowing at Lagoa on day eight.

Brennan – who took bronze in the same event in London as well as silver in the women’s double sculls – led nearly from start to finish and produced a convincing victory in a time of 7 minutes 21.54 seconds.

American sculler Genevra Stone finished second in 7:22.92 and China’s Duan Jingli took the bronze medal in 7:24.13.

Brennan hit the front early in the first leg, and established a 2.69 second lead over Jingli after 500m.

She increased the lead to 3.72 seconds at the halfway mark as Stone began to come through to challenge for second.

Brennan still led by three seconds at the final mark, and she held her form perfectly to take the title.

Australia’s rowing gold medallist, Kim Brennan. Photo: Getty

Brennan’s husband Scott, won gold for Australia with David Crawshay in the men’s double sculls in Beijing.

The win provides Australia with its only gold medal at the rowing regatta on the final day of competition.

Drawn in lane three, Brennan lined up alongside scullers from Switzerland and the USA, as well as Jingli Duan of China and Emma Twigg of New Zealand.

The Trans-Tasman rivalry between Twigg and Brennan has been a focus in the build up to these Games, while China’s Duan was a bronze medallist at the 2015 World Championships.

Twigg was not in contention here today, it was Brennan’s day.

As the six boats approached the first 500 metre marker, Brennan was in the lead with a clear water advantage but Duan and Genevra Stone of the USA were both chasing hard.

From the halfway mark Brennan increased her advantage, and maintained a stroke rate of 33 having powered out at the start with a rating of 39.

In the final 500 metres, Stone began to chase down Brennan but she maintained her composure, and her lead, to claim the gold.

Stone took silver, while Duan placed third.