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MUNICH - New Zealand's mood matched the miserable Munich weather as all three crews in action sunk from contention at the world rowing championships.
That included the young men's and women's eights, who it was hoped may have improved enough to reach the final and force a place at next year's Beijing Olympic Games.
However, it wasn't to be in cold, wet conditions on the Oberschleissheim course as the men finished fourth in their repechage and the women third.
It was the first day of disappointment for New Zealand at the regatta, with eight crews having yesterday qualified for the semifinals.
The men's eight of Graeme Hill, Peter Benny, Benjamin Scott, Steven Cottle, Rob Hellstrom, Selwyn Cleland, Paul Gerritsen, Carl Finlay and cox Daniel Quigley needed a top-three finish today to get there.
However, they found themselves fourth from the outset and couldn't make any headway on third-placed Belarus who finished two boat lengths clear, behind Great Britain and Poland.
Despite the urging of Quigley the New Zealanders could do no better than hold Italy at bay.
New Zealand are this year fielding a men's eight internationally for the first time since 1998.
Much interest has surrounded their performance at the same venue where the New Zealand eight famously snared gold at the 1972 Olympic Games.
They needed a top-seven finish among 16 crews to qualify for Beijing but can now do no better than 13th.
The women's eight of Tamsin Gilbert, Simone Hudson, Emma-Jane Feathery, Rebecca Scown, Fiona Paterson, Paula Twining, Nikki-Lee Crawford, Erin Tolhurst and cox, Candice Bardsley, required a top-two finish to advance straight to the final but never came close despite a gutsy row.
They pushed the touted Chinese into fourth but struggled to make headway on winners the United States and Britain.
The New Zealand women will need to win their B-final to match the seventh placing of last year's world championships but they needed fifth place for Beijing.
Earlier, distraught Peter Taylor and Graham Oberlin-Brown were eliminated from the double sculls sitting slumped in their seats for nearly five minutes after crossing the line fifth and last in their quarterfinal.
They needed a top-three finish to reach the semifinals and virtually book a plac e for the boat at Beijing but didn't come close, trailing well behind Germany, Canada and Cuba.
Taylor and Graham Oberlin-Brown, at 19 the youngest member of the New Zealand team here, have struggled to fire in their European summer campaign.
Rowing New Zealand must now determine whether to send any of today's crews to the last-ditch Olympic qualifying regatta in Lucerne early next year.
If it does so, none of the rowers could be guaranteed a place in the boat.
Other options in the lightweight double would include Duncan Grant, who has been outstanding in the lightweight single sculls this year, and under-23 world champion Storm Uru.
- NZPA
