Kiwi Rowers Begin Munich Campaign

Kiwi Rowers Begin Munich Campaign
 
In the absence of world champion Mahé Drysdale, on the side lines after the training accident on his bike yesterday, the rest of the New Zealand elite rowing team made their first appearances at the third World Cup Regatta in Munich today.
 
Storm Uru and Peter Taylor look set for a competitive regatta after they cruised to a heat win in the men's lightweight double sculls. They have sharpened up their start and it showed, with the 2009 world champions taking the lead before half way and dominating for the rest of the race to win by almost seven seconds. They defeated Olympic champions Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter from Great Britain again too, this time by a very healthy six seconds.
 
Eric Murray and Hamish Bond had a slow start in their heat but were out in front by half way, powering away from the field in the second half to win by almost eight seconds ahead of Italy.  The result takes them directly to the A final.
 
Women’s pair Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown also dominated their heat and like their fellow world champions in the men's category, moved directly to the A final on Sunday.
 
Lone Kiwi sculler Emma Twigg returned to form with a solid heat win in the women's single scull, again clearing the field to win easily. Twigg will race Saturday in the main semi-finals.
 
World champions Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan also made a promising start to the regatta after a disappointing Lucerne, moving through from fourth to finish second to the Norwegian combination of Nils Jakob Hoff and Kjetil Borch, but notably finishing ahead of world silver medallists Eric Knittel and Stephan Krueger. They too now head to the semi-finals.
 
In the women's heavyweight double sculls, Anna Reymer and Fi Paterson gave chase to the benchmark British duo of Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger but had given away too much early on to make an impression in the last quarter. They had a healthy margin in hand ahead of third placed Ukraine, but will head to the repechage.
 
Women’s lightweight double scull Lucerne sensations Louise Ayling and Julia Edward made a quieter start to their second World Cup regatta, finishing third in their heat behind Germany and the Netherlands. They will have to progress in this regatta via the repechage.
 
Boating substitute Ben Hammond for a sick Tyson Williams, the men's four had to race hard against Germany 1 and 2 throughout their heat - eventually taking the vital third place for a direct route to the semis after a last-gasp sprint overcame the second German boat. The powerful Australians dominated the race from the start and were comfortable heat winners, as were the British in their first race.
 
With only one going through to the A final in the men's quad and with Matthew Trott still out of the boat with injury, Robbie Manson, Michael Arms, Adam Tripp and John Storey finished some way off the pace in sixth. They will have a second chance to make the main final via the repechage.
 
The women's quad of Fiona Bourke, Louise Trappitt, Sarah Gray and Eve Macfarlane - back to the line-up selected in the NZ trials after Bourke and Gray had time out with injury - was in its first race together since taking a bronze at the world championships in Bled last year. All boats will race again in the A final, and in what is a warm up race known as a demonstration race, the Kiwis finished sixth.

ENDS

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