Rowing: Looking ahead to Olympic qualification

Eric Murray and Hamish Bond are one of many Kiwi rowing crews looking like major medal hopes come Olympic time. Photo / Getty

After their traditional post-World Cup night off at Mr Pickwicks pub, New Zealand's rowers, coaches and strategists will focus on the world championships in Aiguebelette, France, starting on August 30. It's their first shot at Olympic qualification.

If the results from the weekend's work on the Rotsee are computed to Olympic berths, every crew would have qualified their respective boats for Rio.

That is a monumental statement for any New Zealand sport to make. Rowing has never had a full complement of 14 boats at a Games; qualifying 11 for London even seemed extraordinary.

Sunday's performance was a step into new territory. The regatta may be remembered as the catalyst which took the sport into a new era.

In summary, New Zealand:

- secured 11 medals. Five gold, three silver and one bronze came in Olympic class events. A gold and a bronze came in non-Olympic boats.

- won the trophy for overall World Cup champions across three regattas, despite only competing at two.

- put both the men's and women's eight on the podium for the first time at the same World Cup regatta.

- had representation in 12 of the 14 Olympic class finals; the men's lightweight double sculls and coxless four were exceptions.

- proved they will be the team to be beat at the world championships and Olympic Games.

However, as a sport dealing with $19.6 million in taxpayer funding via High Performance Sport New Zealand, improvement is imperative. On the cusp of such rare achievement, the solutions become more Rubik's Cube than Connect Four in nature. Subtle tweaks are required more than clonking changes.

In stopping for a meditative breather, here are five questions the powers-that-be might ask at their next collaboration.

1. Is it beneficial for Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast to double up in the pair and the eight?

The duo earned silver in the pair. The selectors' faith in the duo's fitness and tenacity was justified as they went on to moonlight to silver in the eight, having avoided a repechage on the Saturday. Further proof's required for this to be a sustainable solution.

2. Where does world champion single sculler Emma Twigg fit?

Incumbent world champion double sculler Fiona Bourke made considerable strides in Lucerne to finish fifth in the single sculls final, compared to second in the 'C' final (14th) at the previous World Cup in Varese.

The situation is complicated further because Eve Macfarlane has joined Zoe Stevenson in the double and they've won two regattas. If Twigg was to resume her place with the summer squad, Bourke could go back to the double and Macfarlane could strengthen the quad, or vice versa. Tricky.

3. How does the men's eight improve?

Their bronze medal performance is a direct benefit to seven of them having crewed together for years, including winning two world under-23 championships.

The United States and Russia were absent, but beating the Netherlands, Australia, Poland, France and Italy suggests a top five place for an Olympic berth is realistic at the world championships.

The prospect of an eight being given a proper chance to prepare for an Olympics, and avoiding the regatta of death, is tantalising.

4. What's happening in the lightweight men's double sculls?

They would qualify for Rio under present circumstances, but ninth at Lucerne confounds. Peter Taylor is an incumbent Olympic bronze medallist in the discipline and Hayden Cohen has a formidable record at domestic level. This conundrum will require significant perseverance.

5. What's happening in the men's coxless four?

This quartet are New Zealand's weakest link, yet on Lucerne evidence (10th) they would still have qualified for Rio. The panic-free solution would be to let them prove themselves through the pre-world championships training block. If they qualify the boat, a reassessment can be made on personnel at next year's trials. If they fail, an investment in one 'regatta of death' crew next year is a necessary inconvenience.

Women

Single scull - needs top nine to qualify the boat for Olympics: Fiona Bourke (5th at Lucerne)
Double scull - top 11: Zoe Stevenson, Eve Macfarlane (1st)
Coxless pair - top 11: Kerri Gowler, Grace Prendergast (2nd)
Quadruple sculls - top five: Erin-Monique O'Brien, Lucy Spoors, Georgia Perry, Sarah Gray (4th)
Lightweight double scull - top 11: Julia Edward, Sophie MacKenzie (1st)
Lightweight scull - non-Olympic: Zoe McBride (1st)
Eight - top five: Rebecca Scown, Genevieve Behrent, Kerri Gowler, Grace Prendergast, Kelsey Bevan, Ruby Tew, Emma Dyke, Kayla Pratt, cox Francie Turner (2nd)

Men

Single scull - top nine: Mahe Drysdale (1st)
Coxless pair - top 11: Hamish Bond, Eric Murray (1st)
Double scull - top 11: Chris Harris, Robbie Manson (6th)
Quadruple sculls - top eight: John Storey, George Bridgewater, Jade Uru, Karl Manson (2nd)
Lightweight coxless four - top 11: Curtis Rapley, Alistair Bond, James Lassche, James Hunter (1st)
Lightweight double scull - top 11: Peter Taylor, Hayden Cohen (9th)
Lightweight single scull - non-Olympic: Adam Ling (3rd)
Coxless four - top 11: Anthony Allen, Alex Bardoul, Bobby Kells, Finn Howard (10th)
Eight - top five: Stephen Jones, Brook Robertson, Alex Kennedy, Joe Wright, Isaac Grainger, Shaun Kirkham, Michael Brake, Tom Murray, cox Caleb Shepherd (3rd)