Gold and bronze medals for Kiwi rowers
Photo:
Supplied / Rowing NZ
A gold and two bronze medals for New Zealand rowers at the first World Cup regatta of the season in Italy.
Ben Taylor and Oliver Welch beat the Olympic champions to win the Men's Pair. Ben Mason and Finn Hamill launched their partnership in style with bronze in the Men's Double Sculls, while Stella Clayton-Greene and Kathryn Glen had a reunion row to remember with their bronze in the Women's Double Sculls.
Croatian brothers Valent and Martin Sinkovic are perhaps the most celebrated combination in pairs rowing after New Zealand's Hamish Bond and Eric Murray. They won gold at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
"Seeing them next to us on the start line was real exciting. Like, I've watched them win Olympic gold medals. [But] from the times in the heats and the semis, I was quietly confident we'd be able to beat them if we raced our best race," said 21-year-old Oliver Welch.
Welch and Taylor, who were the fastest qualifiers, made a quick start and then continued on to win.
" I'm really glad that I chose Oli, it's really paid off. I've said to a few people that I'm pretty excited about this one... it feels pretty special and I think that showed today... really excited to see how far this can go," Taylor, who is now the senior sweep athlete in the men's squad, said
Ben Mason and Finn Hamill finished third in a photo finish with Italy in the Men's Double with Switerland taking the win.
Their coach Gary Roberts said he knew there was potential based on the performance of previous crews he's had in his nine years with New Zealand's elite athletes.
"They've been training well back in New Zealand... there was just an unknown as to where they would stack up. It's a nice surprise."
It had been a refreshing experience in other ways as well. Stella Clayton-Geene and Kathryn Glen won a bronze medal in the Double Sculls at the U19 World Championships in 2018.
Clayton-Greene has been fighting a chest infection this week and the pair's time in their fourth-place finish in the heats was just good enough to get them into the A Final. Their reunion finally got off properly in last night's medal race.
"I've always wanted to be back in the boat with Stella," Glen said. "It's exciting to be in a boat with someone that you trust a hundred percent. It's fun as well so I don't get as nervous when I race because you're rowing with your best friend?"
China, whose programme is headed up by New Zealander Ian Wright, crossed in 6.43.24, the Dutch in second (6.44.17), New Zealand in 6.48.44.
The lead-in for the Women's Four has also been affected by illness, with Ella Cossill having to hop into the boat for Juliette Lequeux. They finished fourth.
The Men's Four of Flynn Eliadis-Watson, Campbell Crouch, Zack Rumble and Josh Vodanovich finished sixth.
The regatta also hosted the first Mixed Eight competition with the USA winning the test event.
The New Zealand team now heads to Lucerne for the next World Cup regatta.
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