Rowing: Games team look for golden touch

By JULIE ASH

The New Zealand rowing team know they will have to be humming along at full pace if they want to emulate last year's world championship success in Spain in September.

Although they won three silver medals then, they are well aware the competition will be a lot stronger this year in Seville.

Four New Zealand crews competed last year - a women's coxless four, quadruple and double scull, and a men's coxless four.

The three women's crews won the silver medals. The men's team finished second in the B final.

Being post-Olympic year, the fields were not as strong. Many rowers had taken a year off and new crews were just being formed.

But at this year's event, from September 15-22, the competition will be a lot tougher when almost the same four NZ crews test themselves against the world's best.

"We want to build on last year and keep building for next year," said Caroline Evers-Swindell, a member of the women's double and quadruple sculls.

"Next year is going to be the big one because it is the Olympic qualifying regatta and we really want to have things under control by then."

Only three changes have been made in the New Zealand team from last year.

Melanie Burke comes into the women's coxless four, joining Kate Robinson, Jackie Abraham and Nicola Coles.

Angela Fife replaces Sonia Waddell in the quadruple sculls, teaming up with Paula Twining and twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, who will also compete in the double sculls.

David Waddell joins Ian Smallman, Sam Earl and Rob Hellstrom in the men's coxless four crew.

National women's coach Richard Tonks said it would be a great achievement if his crews could repeat their silver medal success.

"Last year's results have given us the confidence that we are up on the pace.

"I think we are better prepared this year. The girls are a year older so they are more mature and harder, and have another whole year's training behind them.

"It will be nice to get to that golden level - that is what we are all aiming for."

The crews have spent the past 13 weeks training at Lake Karapiro, just out of Cambridge - holding monthly regattas to coincide with the first two World Cup events in Belgium and Switzerland.

From there they have been able to compare their times with those of World Cup competitors.

Men's four coach Brett Crowe said: "We've pulled off similar times to what they are doing overseas.

"But it is difficult to judge time because the water is considered to be warmer over there, which means you are meant to go faster, but we don't like to assume that we will be faster when we get over there."

He said his crew's aim was to make the final.

"As we have progressed we have got better. We have put in a lot of kilometres. In the early stages we were doing 230km a week. Now we have cut it back to about 200km.

"We would like to make the final because once you are in the final you are always shooting for a medal."

The New Zealand team leave for Europe on July 27. They will compete in the final event of the World Cup in Munich from August 1-3, then spend a month training in Belgium before heading to Spain.

A development side are preparing for the Commonwealth championships in Nottingham, England, from August 17 and a coxless men's team will compete in the world under-23 championships in Italy next week.

New Zealand are also sending a men's and women's crew, plus single sculler Emma Feathery, to the world junior championships in Lithuania from August 6-10.