Gold and two bronze in Bulgaria for NZ Juniors
New Zealand started finals day at the World Junior and Senior Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in fine style,
with one gold and two bronze medals.
The Junior men's coxed four of Thomas Murray, Michael Brake, Cameron Webster, Thomas Jenkins and Sam Bosworth had
demonstrated its intent earlier in the regatta with a dominant heat, and once again set out to lead from the start. The
crew were never headed in the final, but with Germany less than two seconds adrift at the line, and Serbia not far
behind them in bronze medal position, it had been a tough battle nonetheless. A gold medal was a great result for the
young crew.
There were bronze medals for the Women's junior straight four and the quadruple scull as well.
Kelsi Walters, Sophie Shingleton, Johannah Kearney and Holly Greenslade took the lead early in a top class field, but
could not contain the stand-out Chinese boat or the United States who had a two second and one second advantage
respectively over the Kiwis at half way. With Italy pressing in fourth, the New Zealand crew hung on to the USA for as
long as it could and held off the Italians for a fine third place.
Nobody could touch the Romanian Junior women's quadruple scull in the final and it dominated from the start, but
Nathalie Hill, Ruby Tew, Hannah Osborne and Zoe McBride settled into a strong third place at 500 metres, just a second
down on the USA and under a second ahead of the Germans in fourth. These gaps had grown marginally by halfway but into
the last 1,000 metres the New Zealand crew was able to pull away from the Germans and slowly but surely close on the
United States. They reduced the gap at the line but it wasn't enough. Romania took gold, the USA silver and the talented
NZ junior team a second bronze.
The Junior men’s quadruple scull had a tougher time in its A final. Mitchell Mackenzie-Mol, Russell and Cameron
Crampton and Corey McCaffrey were never able to challenge for the lead and slipped away from the medal pack of Italy,
the Ukraine and Romania and fought out the minor placings with Hungary and the Netherlands. They finished an eventual
sixth overall.
ENDS