Rowing: Youngsters surge to golden day at worlds

New Zealand's rowers have surged through another golden day on European waters, stroking their way to three gold medals and a silver at the under-23 world championships in Hazewinkel, Belgium.

The medal haul - coming less than a fortnight after the Evers-Swindell twins, Caroline and Georgina, and men's pair of Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater triumphed at the World Cup in Switzerland - gave further evidence the sport's next generation is developing well.

James Dallinger, Steven Cottle, Paul Gerritsen, Dane Boswell and coxswain Daniel Quigley were arguably the most impressive, as they gradually wore down the pacesetting Australians over the final metres to complete the 2000m journey in 6m 03.19s - 3s inside the world mark.

Australia held a healthy 3s margin heading into the final 500m but had no answer when New Zealand turned up the heat, improving their rating from 39 to 44.

"We had a bit of a shaky start but good speed from the middle and a lot of power in the last 1000 metres got us home," Quigley said.

Graham Oberlin-Brown, aged just 18, and Peter Taylor also made the record books when they powered to gold in the lightweight double sculls, turning the tables on Italians Marcello Miani and Daniele Danesin who triumphed in the semifinals.

Making the most of a helpful tail wind the New Zealanders gained an edge from the outset in lane five and never relented to cross in 6m 19.03s, a more than 4s improvement on the previous mark.

The Italians were second and the Czech Republic third.

Storm Uru was the other New Zealander to make the top step of the podium after he absorbed Turk Mete Yeltepe's explosive start before reeling in the favourite as he ran out of steam.

Unflustered by the Turk's withering first 1000m, Uru was content to give up a more than 2s advantage at the halfway mark before surging home.

Yeltepe was also overhauled by Maxime Goisset of France and had to settle for bronze while Uru, who was third in the event last year, triumphed by 3s in 6m 55.73s.

In the men's single sculls, 2.05-metre German Karsten Brodowski comfortably kept Nathan Cohen at arm's length, after conceding the semifinal to the New Zealander.

Brodowski powered away from the halfway mark and won in 6m 46.93s - 4s inside the record.

Cohen clocked 6m 50.07s but was happy with his personal performance and the overall team effort.

"I guess our development programme is starting to pay off," he said, a view echoed by Rowing New Zealand manager Kevin Strickland.

"It's just fantastic. That coxed four result ... the lightweight double was quite a magic win."

Meanwhile, the coxed four will soon gain an appreciation of competition at the elite level when they represent New Zealand at the World Championships at Eton in England, starting on August 21.

"They're going up to the big stuff now," Strickland said.

They join the remainder of the elite crews training in Belgium before heading across to Britain.

- NZPA