Rowing: Strong Olympic buildup for NZ team

New Zealand's Olympic rowing representatives completed their pre-Olympic race schedule with some satisfying results at the International Holland Beker Regatta at Amsterdam over the weekend.

The two-day regatta produced some fast racing with the New Zealanders providing top efforts against some notable international competition.

The men's coxless four (Mahe Drysdale, Carl Meyer, Eric Murray, Donald Leach) and the men's pair (George Bridgewater, Nathan Twaddle) set course records in winning their events.

The New Zealand men's four beat the Australian four in the fast time of 5m 50s.

The two New Zealand men's team were convincing winners yesterday as well.

The recently-qualified women's pair of Nicola Coles and Juliette Haigh registered two wins over the weekend, winning yesterday's race in a course record time of 7m 8.14s.

Sonia Waddell, in her first overseas outing of the year, finished second to the former world champion Ekatarina Karsten of Belarus, recording 7m 19.21s.

Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell were rested by coach Richard Tonks in favour of training at the New Zealand team's European training base in Hazewinkel, Belgium.

The New Zealand team will remain in Hazewinkel to complete their build-up before moving to Athens early next month.


- NZPA