Rotorua has a world rowing champ after Julia Edward along with her rowing partner Louise Ayling won gold at the Rowing World Cup in Munich last night.
The lightweight scullers won in a time of 7m 22.88s ahead of Denmark's Juliane Rasmussen and Anne Lolk Thomsen 7m 24.31s and Germany's
Anja Noske and Lena Mueller 7m 24.46s.
Sitting at stroke Edward had their boat rating at 38 strikes per minute into a headwind for the entire 2,000 metres. They were never headed, but what was impressive was the way they maintained their high tempo, very difficult in the conditions. Less than a second up at halfway and looking a little vulnerable to the lower rating crews behind them - particularly Denmark's Lolk Thomsen and Rasmussen - they nevertheless powered on and moved to a half-length lead. They pushed again inside the final quarter and came home a third of a length ahead for an impressive win.
New Zealand came away with an impressive three gold and three silver medals at the regatta in Munich last night, the final test before the London Olympic Games.
Eric Murray and Hamish Bond picked up gold in the men's pair and Peter Taylor and Storm Uru in the lightweight men's double sculls. Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen won silver in the men's double sculls, Emma Twigg won silver in the women's single sculls and Rebecca Scown and Juliette Haigh won silver in the women's pair.
The squad now travel to Belgium for a training camp prior to the Olympics which gets underway on July 27.
Results:
Lightweight women's sculls; New Zealand 7:22.88, 1; Denmark 7:24.31, 2; Germany 7:24.46, 3; Great Britain 7:25.30, 4; Netherlands 7:30.89, 5; Great Britain 7:32.23, 6.
