Rowing: Rowers have a lot to live up to

A year ago, New Zealand's leading rowers made the world championships their private party.

Four gold medals in 45 minutes ranks among the country's finest sporting achievements, but it might also place an unreasonable burden when this year's regatta starts at Eton on Sunday night.

Some of those winning rowers have spoken of the surge of pride they felt as they waited at the start of their course and heard God Defend New Zealand straining out down the water.

It created a "anything they can do we can match" attitude, led to Halberg Awards for head coach Dick Tonks and coxless pair Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater, who won the Sports Team category ahead of Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, and Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh, along with the All Blacks.

Single sculler Mahe Drysdale was a finalist in the Sportsman section.

Rowing has long been one of the blue riband sports when it comes to awards time in New Zealand, but even for them this was one of their better nights.

And when the world champs start there will be an expectation of more gold when the finals are contested next Saturday and Sunday nights (NZ time).

Tonks remembers a conversation with the late John Davies, bronze medallist in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics of 1964, athletics guru, and all-round nice guy.

Davies told him the era of Sir Murray Halberg and Peter Snell, Olympic champions in 1960 and 1964, "hung round athletics' neck for a long time".

"I just hope last year doesn't hang round our neck," Tonks said yesterday. "That was last year, this is this year. But overall I think we're as good as anybody."

In other words, New Zealand's elite are right in the frame, but medals won't come gift-wrapped.

Entries for this year's championships are the biggest on record. There are 64 countries taking part, more than ever before, and over 1000 athletes, which is a 28 per cent rise on last year. There are 27 classes, with the lightweight men's double having 28 entries, making it the largest in the regatta.

New Zealand prepared for the championships at the World Cup regattas in Poznan and Lucerne.

The Evers-Swindells and Drysdale won in Poland but some of the other results were distinctly ordinary.

Things picked up in Switzerland, where the Evers-Swindells and Twaddle and Bridgewater won gold and Drysdale was narrowly pipped by Olympic champion Olaf Tufte of Norway.

From there, the squad headed for Racice in the Czech Republic for a training period and also did time at Hazewinkel in Belgium. Tonks reckons Racice worked out well - "it was our first time there. The Czechs were very helpful, it was a nice spot, a nice course, but very hot."

And that's been one of the difficulties about this campaign. Parts of Europe have been experiencing heatwave conditions and no matter how experienced the athletes are, there are limits to what can be achieved in extreme heat.

"They have handled it quite well. But it does affect training when the heat gets up. Your heart rates start climbing and there's not much you can do about it. But it's been the same throughout Europe, so we're in the same boat as everybody else," Tonks added.

Lightweight single sculler Duncan Grant joined the squad and has impressed, and Tonks is delighted with the spirit shown by the fledgling women's eight.

They have been chosen with campaigns further down the road in mind, but he likes what he's seen.

"They're very keen, looking forward to it and they've done some especially hard training. They're real goers and a good group to have on tour."

The squad has had to cope with various setbacks, including a bug which swept through many of the rowers, and Tonks labelled it a trying couple of months. Still, out of adversity, and all that.

Tonks isn't about to starting making numerical predictions on next week. Repeating last year will take some doing, but he is conscious of not letting standards slip.

"They're all going pretty well. Our first aim is to get into finals, and we'll chase medals down after that."


Who's racing when

* The background

At Gifu, Japan a year ago, New Zealand won four gold medals in a staggering 45 minutes (single sculler Mahe Drysdale, coxless pairs Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater, and Juliette Haigh and Nicky Coles, and double scullers Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell).

* The crews, and their chances

Mahe Drysdale: Won gold in Japan and on this campaign won the Henley regatta and the World Cup final in Poland before being beaten into second in Lucerne by Olympic champion Olaf Tufte. Strong chance, but the field is tough. Should be at least a medallist.

Nathan Twaddle/George Bridgewater: Outstanding last year en route to the Halberg Sports Team of the Year. Scratchy start with a fifth in Poland before winning at Lucerne. Big chance for repeat gold.

Men's coxless four: Steady so far, third and fifth at the cup regattas. There are 17 entries including plenty of European heavyweights. Should be medal chance.

Men's coxed four: In a field of six, therefore will be in their final. Won the under 23 gold at Hazewinkel last month. This is a step up, but might surprise.

Duncan Grant: Joined the elite squad late but has impressed in training. Is in one of the biggest fields, 24. A chance to make the final.

Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell: The Olympic champions, three-times world champions, unbeaten in their two World Cup regattas on this campaign. You figure this one out. They, along with several other rowers have been affected by a flu bug and chances are it won't be easy. But if they're fully fit, class should win out.

Juliette Haigh/Nicky Coles: Battling. Could only finish second in B final at Poland, improved to fourth at Lucerne. Just 11 entries but they'll need to have picked up speed to be a medal chance.

* Women's eight: A top effort if they make the final. Have made progress in Europe. Plenty of promise in a young combination chosen with an eye on the future.

* TV times:

Thursday and Friday: Semifinals, live from 9.55pm, Sky Sport 1

Saturday: Finals, live from 10.05pm, Sky Sport 3

Sunday: Finals, live from 10.40pm, Sky Sport 3

* Heats:

Sunday: Lightweight single sculls, from 9.06pm NZT; Single scull, from 10pm; women's coxless pair, from 10.42pm; men's coxless pair, from 10.54pm; women's double scull, from 11.18pm; men's coxless four, from 12.18am Monday.

Monday: Women's eight, from 10.54pm.

Wednesday: Men's coxed four, 8.30pm (race for final lanes).