Rowing: Teen rower mimics hero

Imke Kitchin completes another training session in her quest to maintain her world record. Photo / Warren Buckland

It can be cruel to compare promising athletes with their heroes.

But, in the case of Hawke's Bay rower Imke Kitchin who lists Olympic Games singles scullers Emma Twigg and Mahe Drysdale as her idols, it's impossible not to compare her with Twigg. Just like Twigg was in her early years, Kitchin, a 15-year-old year 11 Havelock North High School student, is coached by Hawke's Bay Rowing Club stalwart Cedric Bayly.

Just as Twigg did when she won the under-17 and under-18 single scull titles in the same year at a Maadi Cup national secondary schools regatta, Kitchin also set tongues wagging at a Maadi Cup regatta, last month's in Twizel.

Kitchin, who started rowing in August last year, set a world record for the 100 metres on the ergometer. Her time of 17 s bettered the previous record by 1.2s.

Two hours later and a day after completing her commitments on the water, Kitchin also set a national 2km record of 7m18s which was 18s better than the previous record.

"Both are under-18 records which I set in the under-16 age group, so I will have another two years to try and retain as well as improve on them. I have to thank Cedric ... he is tough but really good. At the same time, he is kind and caring," Kitchin explained.

Bayly was reluctant to compare Kitchin with Twigg but agreed she was displaying a similar amount of potential as Twigg did at the same age.

"Imke is following the same wake," Bayly said.

On the water, Kitchin rowed with fellow HNHS student Carys McCroy and they finished second in their C grade double final. Earlier in the summer, Kitchin and Iona College's Grace Petersen finished second in the novice double at the North Island club championships in Whanganui and she was a member of the Bay club's novice eight which finished fifth at the Lake Karapiro-hosted club nationals.

"During the season, I would have four erg sessions each week. Some would be in the weights room at school and the rest out at the club where I had three 15-minute sessions after our training on the water ... those sessions are never fun but they are a necessity," Kitchin said.

"I'll be doing more erg work as part of my winter training, so I can maintain my form and try and improve my records."

With her world record, Kitchin became a world champion in two codes. She was a reserve for her school's junior girls orienteering team which won the world long course title in Turkey last year.

"As a reserve, I ran the course but my score didn't count," she recalled.

Back in her teenage years, Twigg had to sacrifice a representative hockey career on the way to becoming a junior world champion. Kitchin may have to sacrifice her representative netball commitments if she is to emulate Twigg's national and world title feats.

A goal shoot, Kitchin is in her first season as a Hawke's Bay under-15 rep in the Julie Williams-coached team and her second as a member of her school's senior A team, which is coached by Jade Walden.

"Rowing is my priority sport. We're hoping all of our novice eight crew will return for another summer next year because there was such a good feel to it and in the future I would like to have a crack at the single," Kitchin said.

She is eyeing a career in sports nutrition when she leaves school. When asked how good her nutrition was these days Kitchin replied:

"It could be a lot more strict and that will happen later on. But, at the same time, we have pretty good fuel at regattas including mum's pasta."

Taking her two records into consideration, there doesn't appear to be any reason to change the fuel just yet.