Rotorua Olympian Julia Edward has won a gold and bronze medal at this year's New Zealand Rowing Championships, but still has plenty of work to do to regain her seat in the New Zealand lightweight double sculls boat.
The Bankstream New Zealand Rowing Championships were held at Lake Karapiro last week, ending yesterday.
Edward won two medals at the nationals, including a gold in the women's coxless quadruple sculls event and a bronze in the women's lightweight single sculls.
The 23-year-old, who competed at the 2012 London Olympics, has represented New Zealand for the past couple of years in the women's lightweight double sculls division.
She will begin her trial this Saturday to regain a seat in the New Zealand lightweight double sculls boat for the 2014 international season.
Four elite rowers are competing this year for two spots in the boat.
At the nationals last week, Edwards finished behind two of her fellow triallists, Lucy Strack and Louise Ayling, in the lightweight single sculls final.
"Ideally I would have liked to have been in the top two in the singles but I am still there or thereabouts," she said.
"I am not too worried. In the trials we will jump into the doubles boat and I am a lot more confident in the doubles."
Edward said selectors look at the progress of prospects through the summer regattas, their results at the nationals and performance at the upcoming trials when picking the Kiwi pairing. "I feel like I have a lot to prove," Edwards said, looking ahead to the trials.
"It is always quite a daunting week as everyone is trying to be selected."
Edward said the 2014 New Zealand pairing, for the women's lightweight double sculls, would be named next Thursday, after about a week of testing.
She said it was great to see fellow Rotorua rowers doing well at the nationals last week, especially Claudia Hyde who won two gold medals in the under-22 division.