Rowing: Pair's golden run continues

Hamish Bond and Eric Murray remain unbeaten in world rowing after claiming gold in the men's pair at last night's world championships, but they might trade all of those for a single win in London next year.

The Kiwi pair have put together one of the most formidable records in world rowing and haven't been beaten since joining forces at the start of the 2008 season.

It has included 14-straight wins over Andrew Triggs-Hodge and Peter Read, the highly-rated British pairing who once had the wood over Bond and Murray when the quartet were part of their respective coxless fours. There have been some epic duels in that time, particularly at last year's world championships when Bond and Murray had to come from behind in the final 500m to win by half a metre.

But they were comfortable last night. Bond and Murray started strongly and had close to a two-second lead after 500m and, although the British finished strongly, they crossed 1.5 seconds ahead in a time of 6:14.77. Italy were third, a further five seconds behind.

They are now, along with three-time world shot put champion Valerie Adams, New Zealand's best hope of gold in any sport in London.

It was their third consecutive world title - the complete set in between Olympic cycles - and proves their "miles makes champions" training regime under coach Dick Tonks pays dividends.

New Zealand added another medal last night when Fi Paterson and Anna Reymer claimed bronze behind Great Britain and Australia in the women's double sculls. It represented a promising turnaround after a disappointing 2010.

Mahe Drysdale was still due to race in the final of the men's single sculls at the time of print.

It means New Zealand have now won six medals at the world championships so far - three golds and three bronzes - and they could come close to the 10 medals they won on the home waters of Lake Karapiro last year.

They have three crews in finals tonight, including Emma Twigg who is among the favourites in the women's singles sculls after cruising through her semifinals last night.

Twigg continues to fulfil her potential after bronze at last year's world championship at Lake Karapiro and a gold against top opposition at the most recent World Cup in Lucerne. She finished second in her semifinal, trailing Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic by two lengths, but was happy to finish in the top three to progress and will be a gold medal contender tonight.

Storm Uru and Peter Taylor were comfortable in winning their semifinal of the lightweight men's double sculls as they attempt to add a second world title to the one they won in 2009.

They will face stiff competition in the final against last year's winners Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter of Great Britain.

The lightweight women's double sculls of Lucy Strack and Louise Ayling booked their ticket to London when they finished second in their semifinal and moved through to the final.

The Kiwis finished strongly, and might be a chance of a medal, but couldn't edge the Greeks, who had opened out a massive lead on the field earlier in the race.

The men's quad sculls, who missed out on the A final by 0.08 seconds on Friday night, finished fourth in their B final to qualify the boat for London but they didn't feature in a race won easily by Great Britain.

The men's coxless four failed to progress when they finished fourth in the semifinals.

The boat has struggled in the absence of the injured Carl Meyer and they will now need to finish in the first five in the B final to qualify for the Olympics.

The biggest drama of the night came in the men's coxless four final, when the German crew looked to be cruising to gold but crabbed close to the finishing line, allowing the fast-finishing Australians to pip them at the finish.

- APNZ