Rowers pick up mantle
If New Zealand rowing fans sought a seamless transition in post-Olympic year, last week’s World Cup results in Lucerne provided irrefutable evidence.
None of the five Rio Games medallists — Mahe Drysdale, Hamish Bond, Eric Murray, Rebecca Scown and Genevieve Behrent — have returned to their respective crews this season. Scown is the only one competing, but in the women’s eight.
Each of their replacements — Robbie Manson in the single sculls, James Hunter and Tom Murray in the men’s pair, and Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast in the women’s pair — triumphed on the Rotsee.
Those performances were reinforced by golds to men’s double scullers Chris Harris and John Storey, women’s double scullers Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe, and women’s lightweight double scullers Jackie Kiddle and Zoe McBride.
Despite a high performance funding dip from $5.3 million to $5.1 million per annum after the sport secured three of the five Rio medals forecast, the small boat programme keeps regenerating.
The revamped women’s eight of Kelsey Bevan, Emma Dyke, Georgia Perry, Ashlee Rowe, Scown, Lucy Spoors, Ruby Tew, Kelsi Walters and coxswain Sam Bosworth also secured silver behind Romania.
Murray and Hunter arguably made the most significant statement.
The duo linked for their first major regatta after filling the seats vacated by two-time Olympic gold medallists Bond and Murray.
Manson continued his single sculling form after replacing double Olympic champion Drysdale.
He defeated a field which included triple Olympic medallist and fourtime world champion Ondrej Synek.
Manson won in 6m 49.08s, 3.86s ahead of his nearest competitor. He went through the first 500m in fifth before surging to the lead from halfway.
Gowler and Prendergast led from start to finish, as did Harris and Storey. Kiddle and McBride swooped from fourth at 500m.
The women’s eight will also be motivated for the world championships in Sarasota, Florida, from September 24 to October 1.
New Zealand has never had a world championship-winning crew in that class. The 2015 vintage — including four of the incumbents — came closest, earning silver.