Gold, silver, bronze to Brott

NOTHING LEFT IN THE TANK: Exhausted rowers James Brott (left) and Morgan Davies suck in oxygen after finishing third in the lightweight pairs at the New Zealand championships on Lake Ruataniwha. Picture supplied

FORMER Gisborne rower James Brott won gold, silver and bronze medals at the New Zealand Rowing Championships on Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel. The 18-year-old, now studying at Waikato University, was a member of the Hawke’s Bay club's senior coxed eights-winning crew.

Brott also helped the club’s eights finish second and, with Morgan Davies, collected bronze in the lightweight pairs. Brott and Davies won the pairs at the North Island championships on Lake Karapiro last month and were keen to make the podium at the nationals. Were they disappointed with bronze?

“No. . . we were thrilled at getting third because of the strength of the two crews who finished ahead of us,” said Brott, son of Gisborne couple Ray and Jane Brott.

“They were both regional crews, Auckland (who won) and a South Island team, who we were only .02 of a second behind. We got a good start in the race and with 500m to go (of the 2km distance) we were fourth. We put the hammer down, caught the third-placed crew then went after the South Island crew.

“Overall we were happy with the nationals — getting gold in the senior eights, which is for crews bigger and faster than the club eights, and silver in the eights. The conditions for the first day of racing were bad — strong winds which made the water very choppy — but after that the conditions were perfect.

“My goal now is to get into the Regional Perfomance Centre. These results at the North Island champs and nationals will help but I still have to do a couple of rowing tests.”

Brott and Davies made the men's club coxless pairs B final but chose not to race as the main pairs final was later in the morning. Brott acknowledged the work put in by Gisborne Rowing Club management and his former coaches Matt Rickard, Glen Barwick, Luke Jenkins and Alex Hyland.

“Matt and Glen were my first coaches until they moved away from Gisborne, then Luke and Alex coached me.”

He also praised Hawke’s Bay coaches Doc McDonald, who was recently made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to rowing, and New Zealand representative rower Jock MacKintosh.

“They taught us (Brott and Davies) a lot about feeling the water under the boats. Every time you take a stroke the blade enters and exits the water, and it’s important to get a feel for the water to keep it going faster.”

With the rowing racing season “basically over”, Brott has moved into the Waikato University halls of residence.

“It’s only been a few days but it’s all good so far. Once I’m settled in I’ll look at rowing for the university.”