Dräger earned her first world title since 2010, clocking a time of 7min 43.980sec in the final in Linz-Ottensheim.

The German veteran held off the challenge of Japan's Chiaki Tomita, who took silver in 7:47.280.

Britain's Madeline Arlett put in a quick final sprint to claim the bronze medal.

"In this moment I am really proud," said Dräger. 

"My son told me this morning that gold was a possibility. 

"I went out there and did it for him."

Italy's Martino Goretti triumphed in the men's lightweight single sculls, as the 33-year-old edged out European champion Péter Galambos of Hungary.

Goretti secured his fourth world title, and first in the lightweight single sculls, in 6:59.480.

Galambos was forced to settle for silver in 7:02.370, while bronze went to Sean Murphy of Australia.

Margaret Bertasi and Cara Stawicki of the United States beat the under-23 world champions from Italy to win the women's lightweight pair final.

The American duo crossed the line in 7:32.640, narrowly in front of Italy's Sofia Tanghetti and Maria Ludovica Costa.

Janika Koelblin and Marie-Christine Gerhardt of Germany finished third.

Italy took the men's lightweight pair honours as Giuseppe di Mare and Raffaele Serio carried their form from the early rounds into the final.

Di Mare and Serio sealed gold by clocking 6:37.750, nearly five seconds faster than silver medallists Nikita Bolozin and Maksim Telitcyn of Russia, while Brazil's Vangelys Reinke Pereira and Emanuel Dantas Borges earned bronze.

China denied Italy further glory by pipping their rivals to the men's lightweight quadruple sculls title.

The Chinese crew completed the race in 5:53.630, with Italy second in 5:55.010 and the Dutch team third in 5:56.060.

Italy returned to the top of the podium in the women's race, crossing in front of China in a time of 6:34.000.

China took silver and Germany finished with bronze.