Rowing: Odd couple think big

James Lassche and Graham Oberlin-Brown. Photo / Christine Cornege

"You are going to need a bigger boat."

The New Zealand men's lightweight pair of Graham Oberlin-Brown and James Lassche admit they are movie buffs and this immortal line from Jaws neatly sums up their ambitions.

The duo provided a highlight on Friday with a surprise silver medal at Lake Karapiro but they may never race together as a duo again.

Oberlin-Brown and Lassche realise they will have to switch to a four (the lightweight pair is a non-Olympic category) to achieve their goal of competing in London in 2012.

"[Rowing New Zealand] set a benchmark of an A final and we had to aim for that. We think we have done that well," says Oberlin-Brown. "Hopefully we have opened some doors for the future."

The lightweight men's four is generally recognised as the most prestigious class of the lighter categories.

Oberlin-Brown (22) and Lassche (21) agree they are an odd couple who have gelled on the water.

"We are quite different but we go out for coffees and we seem to work well together."

"We have only had 10 or 12 weeks to get this boat right," says Oberlin-Brown, "but the training in a squad environment has made us step up."

At the conclusion of the championships, the national federation will announce their summer training squads; the first pointer towards the likely make-up of the London crews.

"Rowing NZ will make a few decisions for us. We have been in the system for four years now; this is the furthest we have got in an elite field," says Oberlin-Brown.

Three-time world champion lightweight single sculler Duncan Grant will also be keen for a shot at London, quite possibly as part of a four, though his poor performance on Friday (he finished fourth in his semifinal, missing the final) may count against him.