Impressive start for Under-23 rowers in Racice
Despite losing a racing boat to a freak storm, New Zealand made a superb start to the Under 23 Rowing World Championships in the Racice in the Czech Republic with heat wins for four out of six crews – and qualification straight to the A final for the men’s coxed four and the women's straight four.
First on the water were the women’s straight fours and New Zealand’s crew of Jessica Loe, Regan Barkla, Kate Reymer and Alex Burnside set the ball rolling with a dominant heat win in the fastest time of the two heats. Two seconds ahead by the first 500 metre marker, the girls maintained a good pace and a narrow lead in the second half to come home first and qualify for Sunday's final.
The men’s straight four – an experienced crew containing Jade Uru, Simon Watson, Hamish Burson and Tyson Williams totally dominated its heat beating the next placed Slovenians by an impressive eight seconds. They progress to the semi final.
The New Zealand Coxed Four of John Storey, Ian Seymour, Tobias Wehr-Candler, David Eade and cox Matthew Cameron qualified directly for its final with a dominant heat race against the USA, Croatia and Great Britain. They led all the way and look to have a powerful second half of the race, which will serve them well in a final that at this stage will include them, the Americans, the Italians and the Germans. A storm in the evening after the racing, however, left their boat wrecked and they will have to race a replacement in the final.
Joseph Sullivan – racing this time in the double scull with Robbie Manson but still aiming for a third straight Under 23 World title - got off to a great start with another controlled heat win to move to the semi-finals. Their time was just a tiny margin off the fastest set by the German double.
Julia Trautvetter and the experienced Louise Ayling, racing the women’s lightweight double scull, also qualified for their semi final with second place in their heat behind the Austrian combination. Second place was enough to secure an A Final sport for the women’s quad of Alyce Pulford, Leah Stanley, Odette Sceats and Lucy Spoors after a superb row that saw them come from fourth through to second place and direct qualification.