David Leggat: Eight for Eaton was always a long shot

Duncan Grant, Graham Oberlin-Brown, James Lassche and Curtis Rapley. Photo / File.

Setbacks are rare for New Zealand's elite rowers.

Increasingly, no significant international regatta goes by without the silver fern being a prominent player. But yesterday was one of those days when things didn't go according to plan.

New Zealand were hoping to have their lightweight four and men's eight qualify for the London Olympics at the last qualifying chance, in Lucerne.

The four - Duncan Grant, Graham Oberlin-Brown, James Lassche and Curtis Rapley - needed to make the top two to progress to the Games. They finished third, a spirit-crushing 1.32s behind the Netherlands.

The eight, needing to win in a field of three, were second clocking 5:40.02 behind the United States' 5:36.11. So New Zealand will field the 11 crews who qualified out of the world championships in Bled, Slovenia last year. It's a quality group - eight of the 11 finished on the podium in Bled - with the makings of New Zealand's most successful Olympic squad.

Run down the names and they range from dead-set Olympic favourites such as Hamish Bond and Eric Murray in the coxless pair - unbeaten since teaming up in 2009 - to those capable of making the podium after strong displays last year, such as the women's quad.

Everywhere you look there are Olympian possibilities.

But there won't be a repeat of perhaps New Zealand's most memorable rowing Olympic moment, when the Munich eight beat the world in 1972. For the eight, progressing to Eton in July was always a long shot.

Rowing New Zealand decided some time ago to prioritise the coxless four. The eight would comprise those unable to find a place in the smaller boat.

They had precious little time together, eight weeks before their only preparatory event, the World Cup regatta in Belgrade this month. The crew had significant personnel changes, which is unsettling.

They knew the odds were stacked against them. So were they sent, at considerable expense, more in hope than expectation?

RNZ officials always argue no one gets to the last-chance regatta in Olympic year if they aren't rated a decent prospect to make it. It could be maintained that 3.91s - the margin by which they trailed the US over the line yesterday - was catchable, if they'd had more time together.

The last time a New Zealand eight raced at the Olympics was 28 years ago, having arrived in Los Angeles as world champions but finishing fourth.

In 1996, an eight raced the last qualifying regatta in Lucerne and failed to make it to the Atlanta Games.

New Zealand eights have contested six Olympics (excluding 1928, when the eight was chosen but didn't travel to Amsterdam for financial reasons). There have been 18 Games in that period, so it could hardly be claimed New Zealand have been regular eights campaigners.

Munich 1972 ensured the blue-riband eights is enshrined in New Zealand rowing's hearts, and in the country's sporting affections.

But is it time to accept the quality cannot be stretched everywhere? Is that a big boat too far? And is it better in these funding-sensitive times to narrow the focus and ensure the smaller boats remain at, or near, the top of the world game, or continue to strive for the full set?

New Zealand will have a strong presence in London, absent from only three of 14 disciplines, a women's eight being the other. Rio de Janeiro is four years away but don't count on an eight, men or women, making the startline in Brazil. Hard thinking ahead for RNZ.