2014 Rowing Worlds- Golden glory for new and experienced kiwi crews

by Rowing on 31 Aug 2014 The successful momentum that New Zealand has built in the smaller boat events was highlighted again today with three crews standing on the victory dais overnight.

New Zealand rowers have bagged a total of five medals at the world rowing championships regatta in Amsterdam so far, including two Gold and a bronze that were won on the seventh day of competition.

Racing saw the veteran New Zealand men’s pair continue their world domination. They remain unbeaten after six years together in the boat class and in doing so claimed their fifth championship title. The new combination in the women’s lightweight double also put out a Gold medal performance and clocked in a new world best time, and a bronze from the women’s pair added to the medal haul from yesterday which saw the men’s coxed pair and women’s four win Gold.

Slow off the start Hamish Bond and Eric Murray were in sixth place through the first quarter, with Great Britain out in front. The kiwis took command of the race heading into the halfway point; once they took the lead they continued to accelerate ahead, with the aim to put as much water between themselves and their competitors. The kiwi pair won Gold in 6:09.34, more than four seconds ahead of their nearest rival. Silver went to the British pair, and an impressive effort was put in by South Africa for the bronze.

Bond and Murray have now won seven world championship titles together, one in the men’s coxed pair, one in the men’s coxless four in 2007, and five in the men’s coxless pair which they have won between 2009 and 2014. Olympic champions Bond and Murray have also added to their unbeaten record of nineteen successive international victories in the men’s coxless pair.

The women’s lightweight double partnership of Julia Edward and Sophie MacKenzie had a fairy-tale finish for a crew that was only formed a month ago. Out of the start it was anyone’s race as no crew had a clear advantage, but through the first hundred metres South Africa popped their bow out in front, with Australia and New Zealand challenging. New Zealand got into a great rhythm and pulled themselves up to second behind South Africa through the first 500m.

At halfway the kiwis had edged into first and had half a boat length on the South Africans. It was a three boat race for the bronze position with China, Australia and Canada going stroke for stroke. Edward broke her own World Best Time in this event, the original record of 6:49.43 was set in 2012 with Louise Ayling at the second world cup event in Lucerne. The New Zealanders won Gold in 6:48.56, Canada got the silver and China claimed bronze.


The women’s pair of Rebecca Scown and Louise Trappitt shot out of the blocks with a stroke rate of 40 which they sustained to the 400m mark. Scown and Trappitt were behind the pace going through the first quarter in fifth position. The British pair set a cracking speed from the get go with the Romanians and Americans staying in touch. Scown and Trappitt made a move through the halfway point to get into medal contention, and a charge to the finish line meant they held onto third. Gold went to Heather Stanning and Helen Glover of Great Britain in a world best time of 6:50.61, the British pair took just over three seconds off the 2002 record which was set at the world championships by Romania. Kerry Simmonds and Megan Kalmoe from the United States picked up silver.

The women’s quad of Erin-Monique O’Brien, Lucy Spoors, Georgia Perry and Sarah Gray were originally allocated lane one in their final, but due to course conditions changing, they were shifted to lane five. Once the race got underway after a delay it was level pegging as the crews blasted out of the starting blocks. New Zealand were the first crew to claim an early lead, but Germany became the front-runners with 250m down. Settling into their race pace, the New Zealanders dropped back to fifth through the 500m mark.

Australia, USA and China were all contending for the silver and bronze at halfway with New Zealand still sitting in fifth. Germany won the Gold, China claimed silver, and the United States grabbed the bronze, Australia were fourth and New Zealand finished in fifth.

The men’s quad finished sixth in the B final, which gives them a 12th placing overall.

Tomorrow is the final day of competition at the 2014 World Rowing Championships and New Zealand will be in the hunt for medals when they contest A finals in the women’s double scull, men’s lightweight four, men’s single scull and women’s single scull. New Zealand will also race in the B final of the men’s double scull.

For more rowing news see: www.rowingnz.com

World Rowing Championships 2014 – New Zealand Crews

Women’s Single Scull
Emma Twigg (Hawkes Bay RC, Auckland RPC)
Gary Hay (Coach)

Women’s Lightweight Double Scull
Julia Edward (Rotorua RC, Waikato RPC)
Sophie MacKenzie (Wairau RC, Central RPC)
Gary Hay (Coach)

Women’s Coxless Pair
Rebecca Scown (Union Wanganui RC, Central RPC)
Louise Trappitt (Star BC, Central RPC)
Gary Hay (Coach)

Women’s Double Scull
Zoe Stevenson (Tauranga RC, Waikato RPC)
Fiona Bourke (Otago University RC, Southern RPC)
Dick Tonks (Coach)

Women’s Coxless Four
Kerri Gowler (Aramoho-Wanganui RC, Central RPC)
Grace Prendergast (Avon RC, Southern RPC)
Kelsey Bevan (Counties-Manukau RC, Auckland RPC)
Kayla Pratt (Auckland RC, Auckland RPC)
Marion Horwell (Coach)

Women’s Quad
Erin-Monique O’Brien (Petone RC, Central RPC)
Lucy Spoors (Canterbury RC, Southern RPC)
Georgia Perry (Cambridge RC, Waikato RPC)
Sarah Gray (Waikato RC, Waikato RPC)
Mike Rodger (Coach)

Men’s Single Scull
Mahe Drysdale (West End RC, Auckland RPC)
Dick Tonks (Coach)

Men’s Coxless Pair
Hamish Bond (North End RC, Southern RPC)
Eric Murray (Waikato RC, Waikato RPC)
Noel Donaldson (Coach)

Men’s Coxed Pair
Hamish Bond (North End RC, Southern RPC)
Eric Murray (Waikato RC, Waikato RPC)
Caleb Shepherd (Coxswain) (Waikato RC, Waikato RPC)
Noel Donaldson (Coach)

Men’s Lightweight Double Scull
Alistair Bond (Otago University RC, Southern RPC)
Adam Ling (Tauranga RC, Waikato RPC)
Dave Thompson (Coach)

Men’s Double Scull
Robbie Manson (Wairau RC, Central RPC)
Karl Manson (Blenheim RC, Central RPC)
Calvin Ferguson (Coach)

Men’s Quad
Chris Harris (Aramoho-Wanganui RC, Central RPC)
Nathan Flannery (Union Christchurch RC, Southern RPC)
John Storey (Avon RC, Southern RPC)
Jade Uru (Waihopai RC, Southern RPC)
Calvin Ferguson (Coach)

Men’s Lightweight Coxless Four
Curtis Rapley (Tauranga RC, Waikato RPC)
James Lassche (Avon RC, Southern RPC) – in the heats
Alistair Bond (Otago University RC, Southern RPC) – in the semi-finals
Peter Taylor (Auckland RC, Auckland RPC)
James Hunter (Wellington RC, Central RPC)
Dave Thompson (Coach)

Travelling Reserves
Linda Matthews (Star BC, Central RPC)
Giacomo Thomas (Hawkes Bay RC, Auckland RPC)

Team Managers
Jan Taylor & Andrea Harper