Rowing: NZ Coxless four qualify for Olympics

The Men's Coxless Four, David Eade (left), Jade Uru, Hamish Burson and Sean O'Neill. Photo / Christine Cornege

The New Zealand men's coxless four tonight (Sun) added to a long list of Kiwi rowers who have qualified for the London Olympics with a second place in their B Final at the world championships in Slovenia.

Jade Uru, Ben Hammond, James Dallinger and Chris Harris took silver in the B final behind Canada in a very close race, with all six boats featuring in the finish.

The New Zealanders went into the race knowing that the sixth placed boat would be out of the Olympics, and they began well, taking an early lead over Canada.

But the Canadians, in lane one, gradually pegged the Kiwis back after 500m and pulled away slightly to win in 5m 58.55, with New Zealand a blink away in 5.58.76. Belarus were third in 5.58.82.

The Czech Republic were the unlucky sixth boat, finishing in 6.02.62

New Zealand now has a record 12 boats qualified for London.

Gold medal winner Mahe Drysdale has spoken of his "18 months of hell" following his sensational victory in the single scull.

A disc problem in his lower back combined with arthritis forced Drysdale to change his training regime but he triumphed on Lake Bled against a strong field yesterday, and is back on top after his silver medal at last year's world championships.

"You saw the emotion when I won that. It means a huge amount to get back on on top. You know, 18 months of hell and one year out from the Olympics.

it's pretty special to be back on the winners' podium again.

"I'm back, I'm competitive again. I don't think I was at my best, I think there's still more to come, but it was good enough today and we've to go and work now for 10 months away [in London]."

Drysdale rowed past early leader Alan Campbell and current champion Ondrej Synek, leaving Lassi Karonen, Marcel Hacker and Olaf Tufte in his wake.

It was Drysdale's fifth world title and an amazing effort considering the injury problems he has had.

Much of his training has been done on a bike and he said that would continue leading into the London Olympics.

Also on Saturday, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond repelled a strong challenge from arch rivals Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs of Great Britain to take their third straight world title.

The Kiwis held on to win by just under a length, the second fastest men's pair's race of all time, just four tenths of a second off the record held by Matthew Pinsent and Steve Redgrave. It was also their 14th straight win against the British.

Bond said: "We had a goal to get out there and sustain a speed that hopefully no one else would be able to sustain. Any rower will tell you that it's so much easier to get out in front and maintain a lead and watch everyone else behind you.

"We just had to make sure that everything we have done this year went into that final race."

The country also returned to the sharp end of the women's double sculling field for the first time since the Evers Swindell twins won in Beijing with a superb bronze medal for Anna Reymer and Fi Paterson.