Rowers give taste of talent on table for Tokyo

Call it placing the first foot on the stepladder; New Zealand’s leading rowers now have a platform to work from as they press on with plans for a strong regatta at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

New Zealand finished with a seven-medal haul from the world championships, which ended in Florida yesterday, second only on the medal chart to Italy, which won nine.

The Rowing New Zealand selectors now know they have quality women’s combinations in three key disciplines, the eight, double scull and coxless pair, plus a strong men’s double and burgeoning men’s pair.

Tom Murray and Jamie Hunter finished third in the event in which they had the significant psychological challenge of taking over from the unbeaten Eric Murray and Hamish Bond.

While no one would expect them to pick up precisely where the men already accorded all-time great status left off, they have shown enough this year to hint at good strides next year.

Scullers Olivia Loe and Brook Donoghue, and John Storey and Chris Harris won all three major regattas they contested this year — world cups at Poznan, Poland, and Lucerne, Switzerland, plus the worlds.

Both crews were mightily impressive. The women are new, but the men have been knocking around different crews for several seasons. Silver medals: Matt Dunham, lightweight single scull; Jackie Kiddle and Zoe McBride, lightweight women’s double scull. Bronze medals: Tom Murray and Jamie Hunter, coxless pair; women’s eight.

“They’ve clicked,” their coach, Calvin Ferguson, said just before the worlds.

“They’re not young athletes but they’re experienced and believe in the programme and want to work hard. There’s no short cuts for them.”

That attitude from the two engineers certainly paid off yesterday.

The women’s pair of Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler are the crew to beat in their class, at least at this point in the four-year Olympic cycle.

The bronze by the eight could easily have been a gold, outdone by Romania and pipped by fast-finishing Canada. Their strides in the last couple of years have been notable.

Jackie Kiddle and Zoe McBride shape as a quality lightweight double but there were disappointments in Florida.

The men’s eight were second at halfway, duelling hard with the Germans before sliding backwards to finish last.

Single sculler Robbie Manson, the dominant figure through the World Cups, was off the pace at the worlds. He had been troubled by a niggling side strain earlier in the season. He may yet have a battle to hold off Mahe Drysdale, should the two-time Olympic gold medallist decide he wants back in his favoured discipline after a break.

Other crews need to be found if New Zealand are to attempt to field crews in all 15 Olympic classes in Tokyo. That may be beyond them, but at least they now have an idea of the size of the challenge.