Rowing: World champs' eyes now fixed on Rio

Julia Edward (left) and Sophie MacKenzie with coach Gary Hay.

Confidence is sky high for Rotorua rower Julia Edward a year out from the Rio Olympics.

Edward and rowing partner Sophie MacKenzie (Marlborough) recently returned home after winning gold at the World Rowing Championships in France this month. It was their second world title in two years in the women's lightweight double scull event.

Edward said winning gold this year gave them plenty of confidence ahead of the Olympics and proved their success in 2014 was no fluke.

Julia Edward (left) and Sophie MacKenzie with coach Gary Hay.

"Sophie and I had only been together for five weeks before the 2014 world champs ... and I think a lot of people would have thought it was a fluke last year.

"So for us to go into the world champs this year with that on our shoulders, as well as the pressure of qualifying our boat for Rio, it showed the strength of our combination."

During their A final this month, Edward and MacKenzie took the lead in the second half of the race before powering home to claim gold. They had earlier qualified their boat for the Rio Olympics simply by making the A final.

"Once we had qualified the boat there was a lot of weight off our shoulders and because we were in the A final we wanted to really enjoy it," Edward said.

"Sophie said to me 'let's really enjoy this and this is our time to step up'. And after the final we were just so appreciative of each other and thanked each other for an amazing season and said how proud we were of each other."

Edward said it took until they were standing on the podium for the achievement to start sinking in. "It did not really kick-in until we were on the podium and received our medals and the anthem was playing and the flag was raised, until then I felt like I was in a bit of a dream."

After the world champs, the pair were flown to Brazil with a group of New Zealand's top rowers to get acquainted with the rowing venue for the Olympics next August. Edward said they were excited about the 2016 season but trying not to get overwhelmed.

"Our focus is just to continue what we are doing and we will be making small adjustments and be really hard on ourselves in training.

"Being at the top now, it can be quite a difficult place to be because people are trying to knock you down from your perch. But gold at Rio is 100 per cent the goal and I'm confident if we keep doing what we are doing we will have a good shot at getting gold."

Edward and MacKenzie are enjoying a well-deserved holiday and are not due back at their training base in Cambridge until the end of the month, where they will join back up together with coach Gary Hay.

Edward said their coach, Hay, had done a great job with them this year despite not watching their final at the world champs.

"He did not actually watch the race. He gets so nervous he has to leave the venue," Edward said with a laugh. "He left and came back and asked one of the other coaches what position we came."