KEY POINTS:
MUNICH - The New Zealand lightweight men's double sculls opened their campaign to qualify for the Olympic Games with a comfortable third heat placing at the world rowing championships last night.
Peter Taylor and Graham Oberlin-Brown were second for much of their heat but were passed by the United States in the final 500m while Britain led all the way to win.
A top-four finish was needed to reach the quarter-finals, something that was guaranteed when China withdrew from the heat, reducing the field to just four.
The New Zealanders maintained a steady rate to clock 6m 40.48s, nearly 5s behind the winners.
A top-11 finish on Sunday will be required to qualify a boat for Beijing next year, a challenging mark for Taylor and Oberlin-Brown, who reached just the C-final of the World Cup regatta in Amsterdam in July and the B-final at Lucerne last month.
If they do qualify, neither would be guaranteed a place in the boat at Beijing.
Duncan Grant has been outstanding this year in the lightweight single sculls, and under-23 world champion Storm Uru would also have a shot at winning a berth.
- NZPA
