After famously topping the rowing medal table at Tokyo 2020, New Zealand are showing they will be just as hard to beat at the Paris Olympics, as they continue top cruise through the preliminaries at Vaires sur Marne Nautical Stadium.
With all four sculling crews progressing on the opening day of competition, another four have followed, threatening to challenge the three gold and two silver return three years ago.
Particularly impressive were the men's four, built around Tokyo eights gold medallists Tom Murray and Matt Macdonald, who led all the way to vanquish world champions Great Britain in 6m 03.08s, faster than rivals USA in the other heat. With two from each heat advancing to finals, New Zealand, GB, USA and Australia have booked their spots.
Following in the footsteps of Kiwi legends Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, the NZ pair of Dan Williamson and Philip Wilson — two more survivors from the flying eight — showed they will be a force, when they charged home for second in their heat. A tight fourway finish saw world champions Switzerland run down on the line and relegated to a repechage.
The women's four contains Lucy Spoors and Kerri Gowler from the silver-medal eight at Tokyo, and they also advanced to the final with second behind the British, while lightweight double scullers Shannon Cox and Jackie Kiddle could not have been more impressive, powering away from France to reach the semis as fastest qualifiers.
The only crew forced to take an indirect route will be the scratch pair of Kate Haines and Alana Sherman. Handed the unenviable task of repeating the gold medals of Gowler and Grace Prendergast at Tokyo, they earned selection at the last-gasp regatta earlier this year, but found themselves well off the pace.
With NZ Rowing choosing not to contest 'big boat' events at Paris, no more boats remain to face heats.
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