Sullivan shock omission from NZ rowing squad

Olympic gold medallist Joseph Sullivan is the shock omission from the New Zealand rowing squad for the World Cup in Sydney from March 22-24. Photo / Getty Images.

Olympic gold medallist Joseph Sullivan is the shock omission from the New Zealand rowing squad for the World Cup in Sydney from March 22-24.

Sullivan won the double sculls in London with Nathan Cohen. Their feat was named 'sporting moment of the year' at the Halberg Awards. Cohen's request to move into the men's quadruple sculls has been granted. He joins his brother Hayden, Fergus Fauvel and Nathan Flannery. All four were part of the Southern RPC crew which won its class at the national championships.

2012 Olympic quad representatives Michael Arms and Robbie Manson have replaced Cohen and Sullivan in the men's double.

Sullivan, a former under-23 world single sculling champion, has also been omitted from competing in that boat. The spot has been kept vacant with Mahe Drysdale's expected return for the world championships.

The decision has caused surprise in rowing twitter circles. Emma Twigg, who was retained her place in the women's single sculls, tweeted: "@SullivanNZ are you serious? Only man in history of RNZ to win every U23, World and Olympic Final you have entered and not good enough?#joke"

Rowing New Zealand high performance manager Alan Cotter says Sullivan's fitness, despite having recently completed the coast-to-coast, is not up to standard.

"Joe has a little way to go. He's not fully fit, I think the coast-to-coast took a bit out of him. His knees are still sore and he didn't have a good recovery. We've discussed things with him and he will still train with the national squad."

Further trials in July could see Sullivan return for the world championships.

The big winner among the high performance squad women was Kayla Pratt. The under-23 women's pair world champion will partner Olympic bronze medallist Rebecca Scown after Juliette Haigh's retirement.

The unbeaten men's pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray won't compete in Sydney. The Olympic gold medallists will instead continue training under new coach Noel Donaldson and contest the two World Cup regattas in Europe and August's world championships in South Korea.

Women's Lightweight Single Scull
Louise Ayling (Southern RPC, Waihopai RC)
Coach: Dick Tonks

Women's Lightweight Double Scull
Julia Edward (Waikato RPC, Roturua RC)
Lucy Strack (Southern RPC, North End RC)
Coach: Dick Tonks

Women's Single Scull
Emma Twigg (Auckland RPC, Hawkes Bay RC)
Coach: Gary Hay

Women's Double Scull
Fiona Bourke (Southern RPC, Otago Uni RC)
Zoe Stevenson (Waikato RPC, Tauranga RC)
Coach: Dick Tonks

Women's Coxless Pair
Rebecca Scown (Central RPC, Union Wanganui RC)
Kayla Pratt (Auckland RPC, Auckland RC)
Coach: Gary Hay

Women's Quad
Erin-Monique Shelton (Central RPC, Petone RC)
Genevieve Armstrong (Waikato RPC, Tauranga RC)
Georgia Perry (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
Sarah Gray (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
Coach: Dick Tonks

Women's Eight
Kelsey Bevan (Auckland RPC, Counties Manukau RC)
Genevieve Behrent (Southern RPC, Waihopai RC)
Eve Macfarlane (Southern RPC, Canterbury RC)
Jessica Loe (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
Kerri Gowler (Central RPC, Aramoho Wanganui RC)
Grace Prendergast (Southern RPC, Avon RC)
Robyn Munro (Central RPC, Nelson RC)
Linda Matthews (Central RPC, Star BC)
Cox Laura Campbell
Coach: Dick Tonks

Men's Lightweight Single Scull
Duncan Grant (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
Coach: Calvin Ferguson
Men's Double Scull
Robbie Manson (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
Michael Arms (Auckland RPC, Auckland Grammar RC)
Coach: Calvin Ferguson

Men's Coxless Pair
Hamish Bond (Southern RPC, North End RC)
Eric Murray (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
Coach: Noel Donaldson

Men's Coxless Four
Bobby Kells (Auckland RPC, North Shore RC)
Adam Tripp (Auckland RPC, Hawkes Bay RC)
Tobias Wehr-Candler (Waikato RPC, Wellington RC)
Jade Uru (Southern RPC, Waihopai RC)
Coach: Noel Donaldson

Men's Quad
Hayden Cohen (Southern RPC, Invercargill RC)
Nathan Flannery (Southern RPC, Union RC)
Fergus Fauvel (Southern RPC, Otago Uni RC)
Nathan Cohen (Southern RPC, Invercargill RC)
Coach: Calvin Ferguson

Men's Lightweight Coxless Four
Curtis Rapley (Waikato RPC, Tauranga RC)
Peter Taylor (Auckland RPC, Auckland RC)
James Hunter (Central RPC, Wellington RC)
James Lassche (Southern RPC, Avon RC)
Coach: Dave Thompson