Rowing: Prize in store for four

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Four young New Zealand women rowers will turn up for trials at Lake Karapiro at Easter and leave with tickets to a regatta in the United States.

Rowing New Zealand yesterday named its elite crews for the World Cup in Munich in August and September's world championships, but held back on naming the eight for the May 10-12 Princeton regatta in New York.

The Easter trials will find four rowers - and a coxswain - to join the already-selected elite coxless four in the eight who will take up the all-expenses-paid US trip.

The emphasis this year has, not surprisingly, been on the women's sculling events, and Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell have again named in a double scull.

They will be joined by Angela Fife and Paula Twining in a quadruple scull. Fife will step into the seat vacated by the pregnant Sonia Waddell.

Fife finished second behind Caroline Evers-Swindell in the single sculls at this year's national championships.

Melanie Burke has been named in the elite coxless four, joining Kate Robinson, Jackie Abraham and Nicky Coles.

Rochelle Saunders has dropped out of the four who won a silver medal at last year's world championships in Lucerne.

But Saunders is expected to become part of the eight as one of the four to be named after the trials.

"We see her as integral to our plans," said Rowing New Zealand's high performance commissioner Barrie Mabbott.

Richard Tonks will coach the eight, which will revert to two fours after Princeton. The second tier will row at the Commonwealth championships in England in August.