Invercargill's Storm Uru matched his name in his lightweight single sculls heat at the world under-23 rowing championships in Strathclyde, Scotland, yesterday.
Five of the seven New Zealand crew competing qualified for the semifinals tomorrow while the other two still have a chance through repechage.
Reigning champion Uru
took command of his race yesterday in the first 500m. He stormed to a five-second lead over the rest of the field and, at the 1000m mark, was in full control before dropping his rate to 28 to cruise home.
Women's sculler, Emma Twigg, with a ticket to Munich and the senior world championships hanging in the balance, beat all comers by five seconds in her heat.
Facing one of her toughest rivals in Italian Laura Schiavone from the double scull crew that finished second to Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in Lucerne, Twigg put her marker down firmly.
She showed she meant serious business with a blistering first 500m (1m 53s) to lead by four lengths. At the 1000m mark, Twigg dropped her rating to 28 and was all class in the cruise home. Despite dropping her rating further, to 22 strokes a minute, she still posted the fastest heat time.
The third NZ victory came when Joseph Sullivan left his nearest rival, from Germany, by the 1000m mark and settled into his smooth rhythm which had the race commentator likening him to Mahe Drysdale. "New Zealand seems to have a production line of scullers. Where do they come from?"
Sullivan pushed hard at the 1500m to cement his place in the semifinals with a five-boat length win in the fastest heat of the day. He too had a five-second margin over the rest of the opposition.
Novices Emma McGeorge and Anna Reymer stuck with the strong Polish crew at the 500m mark in their women's double sculls heat before making their move at the 1000m mark and jumping out to a three-length win.
Jared Pehi, David Eade, Ben Hammond and Chris Harris won their coxless four heat to secure a semifinal spot.
In the women's lightweight double scull, Sarah Alexander and Gabby Rogers will try to qualify through the repechage as will quadruple scullers Genevieve Armstrong, Anna Stantial, Harriet Austin and Rosslyn Knox.
- NZPA
