Women selected for two Olympic categories
AUCKLAND: New Zealand Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast will get two shots at gold at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics after being named as both the women’s pair and in the women’s eight squad.
The pair were named at Lake Karapiro yesterday, with 32 rowers making up the full team for Tokyo.
‘‘Representing New Zealand in my chosen sport is something I am incredibly proud to have achieved, especially alongside my longtime rowing partner Kerri,’’ Prendergast said.
‘‘The opportunity to again showcase New Zealand’s strength in rowing at an Olympic Games is very special to me, and to do so alongside such talented teammates is a dream come true.
‘‘I hope that our team’s success come Tokyo will inspire another generation of female rowers, as I was inspired at a young age.’’
The women’s eight squad also includes Jackie Gowler, Beth Ross, Phoebe Spoors, Kirstyn Goodger, Kelsey Bevan, Lucy Spoors, Emma Dyke, Ella Greenslade and cox Caleb Shepherd. Ten athletes have been selected to the eight, with the final makeup of the boat yet to be named.
Brooke Donoghue will compete with Hannah Osborne in the highly competitive women’s double scull event. Donoghue, who earlier this year won the national title in the women’s single scull event, also praised New Zealand’s talented women’s rowing squad.
‘‘One of the biggest strengths of our team is the competitiveness which has been an asset, especially given we haven’t raced internationally for two years. We always want the best for each other, and I am excited to put on the silver fern and race with my team,’’ Donoghue said.
Olivia Loe, Eve Macfarlane, Ruby Tew and Georgia NugentO’Leary will make up New Zealand’s women’s quad.
Emma Twigg, also coached by Rodger, will represent New Zealand in the women’s single scull for the fourth time at an Olympic Games, after coming extremely close to a medal in both London and Rio.
Jordan Parry will make his Olympic debut as New Zealand’s men’s single sculler. Parry first represented New Zealand as part of the U21 transtasman team in 2014 and has more recently been a part of New Zealand’s U23 and elite men’s quad.
Gary Roberts coaches Parry. Chris Harris and Jack Lopas make up New Zealand’s double scull crew. Harris represented New Zealand in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games in both the men’s four and men’s quad, while 2021 marks the first occasion Lopas will represent New Zealand at this level.
Dan Williamson (21) is the youngest member of the New Zealand rowing team, joining Matt MacDonald, Tom Mackintosh, Philip Wilson, Shaun Kirkham, Hamish Bond, Michael Brake, Tom Murray and cox Sam Bosworth in the men’s eight crew.
Stephen Jones and Brook Robertson make up the men’s coxless pairs.
Rowing NZ general manager of performance Judith Hamilton, said the team naming was a key milestone with just over a month to go.
‘‘After what was an incredibly tough postponement for all Kiwi athletes, we are incredibly proud to finalise our Olympic team. We are confident in the ability and potential of our athletes and look forward to competing on the world stage,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s especially wonderful to see so many of our female rowers representing New Zealand at an Olympic Games and in many cases, entering the Games as world champions.’’
NZOC CEO Kereyn Smith extended her congratulations to the athletes.
‘‘New Zealand has an extremely proud history in rowing at the Olympic Games. It’s one of our most successful sports with our rowers earning us a staggering 24 Olympic medals. We look forward to watching these fantastic athletes add to that legacy in Tokyo next month.’’ —