Rowing: Evers-Swindells split but reign supreme

Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell still reign supreme in New Zealand women's rowing.

But they are also playing a part in bringing some new talent through.

National rowing coach Richard Tonks split the Olympic double sculling champions up at Lake Karapiro at the weekend to spice up the competition and give up-and-coming rowers Juliette Haigh and Fiona Paterson a leg up.

As a result Haigh, of Auckland's West End club, yesterday went home with two premier finals wins from the regatta, which attracted nearly 1600 rowers over 47 events, completed despite testing windy conditions.

As well as teaming with her Athens Olympics pair partner Nicky Coles to easily win the premier women's coxless pairs, Haigh got to team up with Caroline Evers-Swindell in the doubles, where they beat world under-23 quadruple sculling gold medallist Paterson and Georgina Evers-Swindell by 3.68 seconds.

"It was quite exciting. Both doubles went well. (Haigh and Paterson) are both high achievers in their own way and I think they'll be quite good in the future," Tonks said.

In the premier women's singles, Caroline also reasserted dominance over her national title-holding twin sister Georgina when she won the final by 5sec with Waikato's ex-international Paula Twining less than 2.5sec back in third.

Olympians also shone through in the premier and open men's events, with George Bridgewater beating Waikato's Nathan Terrey in the singles heat, that in the end became the final, while Bridgewater also was in the winning national squad coxless four and eight crews.

With Eric Murray sidelined by injury Steven Cottle, from this year's national under-23 eight, joined Olympian Nathan Twaddle to win the premier men's coxless pairs from fellow Olympians Donald Leach and Carl Meyer.

Tonks said little would change next year in terms of the boats that would be sent to the world championships with a women's double and men's four the key crews and others such as pairs and singles added on.

Competition for places in the men's crews is hot with five in the national A squad -- Bridgewater, Twaddle, Leach, Meyer and Murray -- training fulltime at Karapiro alongside under-23 squad members Cottle, Simon Lack, Paul Gerritsen and David Schumacher, who are being coached by Dave Rodger.

"The four young guys are pushing the others along in the four, only about 3sec behind over 2km, and are improving all the time," Tonks said.

The squads, along with club rowers, will keep training through the holiday break, with the next big regatta on January 29.

- NZPA