KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's Duncan Grant put pre-season injury and illness behind him to retain the world lightweight single sculls rowing title in Linz, Austria, yesterday.
Grant got the better of Dutchman Jaap Schouten for the first time this season, holding off his rival to win a race which saw one competitor quit before the finish line.
After Grant false started, he jumped out into the lead followed by Olympic medallist Lorenzo Bertini, of Italy, with Schouten in fifth.
Going through the middle of the race, Grant, Bertini and Shadi Naghadeh, of Iran, were all in the medal spots with a gap back to Schouten, now in fourth.
Schouten began his move after about 1200m, overtaking Iran then Italy and going after Grant.
Greece's Ilias Pappas came into contention as the leading three sprinted towards the finish line.
Schouten kept gaining on Grant but the New Zealander narrowly held on, with Pappas third.
"It's just a great feeling," Grant said.
"As I had a back injury I was struggling. Some months ago when we arrived in Europe I started to prepare for this big day and now it's just an amazing moment."
The lightweight sculls is a non-Olympic event. It was one of a number of non-Olympic class world titles decided at the same Austrian venue which hosted the world junior championships, which finished on Saturday.
New Zealand completed the junior regatta with a gold medal in the girls' four, silver in the boys' eight and bronze in the girls' quadruple scull.
- NZPA
