Strong start to World Rowing Cup III
The New Zealand elite rowing team made a strong start at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Conditions were near-perfect for the first day of the three-day regatta with flat water and mild temperatures.
A full New Zealand squad is taking to the waters of the Rotsee after a wildly successful Henley Royal Regatta and world cup II in Poznan, Poland.
With a large field from 56 countries the world cup also serves as the final international test before the world championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, USA, in September.
Lightweight single sculler and Henley champion Matt Dunham won both his heat and quarterfinal with ease, making him a firm favourite in tonight’s semi-final.
World best time holder Robbie Manson was back to his winning ways, taking out his men’s single sculls heat and quarterfinal in convincing style.
Manson, who was making his second international appearance this season after being sidelined due to a rib injury, is chasing his second world cup gold following a spectacular win in Poland last month which also saw him smash Mahe Drysdale’s long standing world best time.
Hannah Osborne faced 24 of the world’s best female single scullers in a hotly contested event.
After coming second in her heat, a third place finish in a tough quarterfinal was enough to progress Osborne through to the semi-final where the first year elite will line up alongside a strong field of Olympians and world cup medallists.
After missing the Henley Royal Regatta due to injury, the lightweight double sculls duo of Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle looked unstoppable, winning their heat by a significant margin and booking a berth in the A final.
The men’s pair of Jamie Hunter and Tom Murray progress straight through to the semi-final following a win in their heat.
Hunter and Murray led from start to finish, beating the Henley Royal Regatta winners Valentin and Theo Onfroy of France as well as their kiwi counterparts Alex Kennedy and Cameron Webster.
Kennedy and Webster couldn’t match the speed of their teammates and crossed the line in sixth place, forcing them to face a repechage later in the day. A fifth place finish in this repechage means the pair will contest the C final.
World record holders Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler scooped a comfortable win in the heat of the women’s pair, putting them straight through to the A final.
Despite best efforts the second women’s pair of Kirstyn Goodger and Jackie Gowler trailed the field to finish in sixth place in the heat. They will contest tonight’s repechage.
John Storey and Chris Harris made easy work of their men’s double sculls heat, winning with a clear water lead over Canada’s Matthew Buie and Conlin McCabe.
The duo will move straight through to tomorrow’s semi-final.
Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe also won their women’s double sculls heat with an open water lead ahead of Aikaterini Nikolaidou and Anneta Kyridou of Greece and Carlotta Nwajide and Julia Leiding of Germany. All three move through to the semi-final.
The men’s quad of Giacomo Thomas, Nathan Flannery, Cameron Crampton and Lewis Hollows finished fifth in their heat, won by the all-powerful British crew.
The quad will now contest a repechage tonight.
In the battle of the big boats the men’s eight were also denied a direct path to the A final after finishing sixth in their heat. The world cup medallists will be looking to bounce back in tonight’s repechage.
Racing continues tonight with repechages, semi-finals and minor finals.
Live results, entries and schedule can be found at worldrowing.com