Rowing: Cool Drysdale reels in single sculls win

Composure was the key to New Zealand rower Mahe Drysdale's outstanding win at a World Cup regatta in Poland.

The reigning world champion responded to a gallant challenge from Great Britain rival Alan Campbell to win the single sculls final at Poznan.

Serious questions were asked of Drysdale, in just his second international season in a singles boat, as Campbell made a flying start.

The Briton powered through the opening 1000m to earn a lead of two seconds on the New Zealander, who reeled in Campbell during the next 500m before going on to win in a time of 6m 39.12s.

Campbell, who won the singles crown at a World Cup regatta in Germany last month not attended by New Zealand crews, was second in 6m 41.82s, with experienced German Marcel Hacker third.

New Zealand team manager John Howard credited Drysdale's success to his ability to stay calm under fire.

"After the first 500 he just proved his ability to fight back," said Howard.

"He's a very, very strong man mentally. The Brit came out of the blocks at 100 miles an hour and Mahe just hung in there and pounced at the right time."

Drysdale's success was matched by Olympic and world champion Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in the women's double sculls, while New Zealand picked up a third medal with a bronze in the men's fours final.

The twins were pressured in the closing stages by two Australian crews but held them at bay comfortably enough to win in 6m 42.96s to secure their sixth World Cup gold medal.

The men's four of Selwyn Cleland, Carl Meyer, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray unleashed a blistering finish to haul in the Czech Republic in the closing 200m to finish behind Great Britain and Slovenia.

Howard was particularly pleased with the four, featuring newcomers Cleland and Bond.

"The game plan was to make the A final in the four and it was a bonus to get on the dais," he said.

New Zealand won four gold medals at last year's world championships in Japan, and the Polish regatta was the first of two this country's crews are using to prepare for their title defences in England in August.

The men's and women's pairs were both disappointing in Poznan. Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater came fifth in their final and Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh were relegated to the B final, in which they finished second behind a Danish crew.

Howard said Twaddle and Bridgewater, as reigning world champions, were left kicking themselves after the New Zealanders finished almost 9s behind the winners, Australia, and more than 5s behind Germany, third.

The next World Cup regatta starts in Lucerne, Switzerland, on July 7.

The other New Zealand crew, the rookie women's eight, finished second in their three-boat B final behind Ukraine.

- NZPA