All lanes lead to Rio at national rowing championships

the last major regatta before trials start at the end of the month.

The members of the Rowing New Zealand elite summer squad will be competing for their respective Regional Performance Centres at the New Zealand championships starting at Lake Karapiro today.

That should make for some intriguing head-to-head battles between boats, as crews will consist of different combinations from those which have contested the previous key regattas of the summer in their Rowing NZ boats.

The women’s pair, for example, will see the country’s top sweep oar exponents compete against in each other in new combinations.

Veterans Rebecca Scown and Fi Paterson will be one of two strong Central RPC crews, with dual 2015 world champs silver medallist Kerri Gowler teaming up with Ruby Tew in the other. They’ll be up against a tough Southern crew and the Auckland RPC boat of Kelsey Bevan and Ashlee Rowe.

‘‘Nationals will be another good test to see how we perform in different combinations and under the pressure of racing,’’ Scown said.

In the men’s pair, Hamish Bond and lightweight star James Lassche will be out to win their third consecutive title together – last year, the Southern RPC duo weren’t far off the world’s best time in the class set by Bond and Eric Murray at the 2012 London Olympics.

‘‘It’s always good to win national titles,’’ Bond said.

‘‘My main target this week is the pair, having won it eight times consecutively. ‘‘The national championships are a good test in the build up to Rio.’’

Auckland RPC will field two premier pairs, with lightweight rower Peter Taylor teaming up with NZ men’s eight crew member Stephen Jones, while Mahe Drysdale will be rowing as a sweep oar with Isaac Grainger.

Drysdale will be out to win the men’s premier single scull title after a surprise defeat to John Storey at the recent Cambridge Town Cup. Emma Twigg will start favourite in the women’s premier single as she looks to confirm her selection in that boat to try to gain one of three Olympic qualifying places up for grabs in Lucerne.