Stars’ absence creates vacancies
Casual rowing fans are unlikely to recognise more than a handful of names in Rowing New Zealand’s list of elite trialists.
That’s no surprise when you examine the names of those that won’t be at Lake Karapiro from February 25 to March 2 as the organisation looks at contenders for the team to contest two World Cup regattas in Europe later this year.
Retirements and sabbaticals have meant more than a dozen big names are unavailable for selection this year, among them Olympic gold medallists Mahe Drysdale, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray.
Add to that list the likes of Emma Twigg, Zoe Stevenson, Eve Macfarlane, Rio silver medallist Genevieve Behrent, Sophie Mackenzie, Julia Edward, Alistair Bond and George Bridgewater and there’s an obvious lack of star power and experience.
Among those Rio Olympic competitors available are the full crews from the women’s and men’s eights which made their respective A finals last year, while veteran sweep oar rower Rebecca Scown returns after claiming silver in the women’s pair with Behrent at the Games.
After his win in the men’s
single scull class at the justcompleted national championships at Lake Ruataniwha, Robbie Manson appears to have the upper hand as Drysdale’s replacement in the boat for 2017. Manson and Chris Harris - who won the double sculls at the nationals too - represented NZ in the double at Rio but could only manage fifth in the B final (11th overall) and Manson has indicated he may be keen for a crack at the single internationally this year.
The make-up of the men’s pair will be intriguing, with Bond and Murray taking a break. Tom Murray, part of the eight, has teamed up with lightweight James Hunter to win the title at the past two
national champs, but that combination isn’t a likely international option for the selectors, with a young untried crew a possibility.
Hunter and Lassche were half of the lightweight men’s four that missed the medals in Rio, but have been named among the men’s heavyweight trialists.
Who takes over the women’s single scull berth from Twigg is also wide open. Superstar lightweight Zoe Mcbride won the heavyweight title at Lake Ruataniwha on Saturday but seems set to team up with Jackie Kiddle in the Olympic-class lightweight women’s double scull boat for the two World Cups in Poland in June and Switzerland in July.