Rowing: Five crews still up for Olympic spots

Emma Twigg. Photo / Brett Phibbs

New Zealand's ambitions to have crews in all 14 rowing events at August's Rio Olympics remain on track going into the finals of the last chance qualifying regatta in Lucerne.

Having qualified nine crews directly for Rio at last year's world championships, New Zealand have five more racing to secure their places this week.

The two quad crews made their way directly into tomorrow's finals from Sunday night's heats, and today single sculler Emma Twigg, lightweight men's double of Adam Ling and Toby Cunliffe-Steel and the men's four of Anthony Allen, Axel Dickinson, Patrick McInnes and Drikus Conradie advanced to their finals through either semifinals or repechages.

Twigg, world champion in 2014, progressed comfortably, winning her semifinal in 7min 36.750, with Ireland almost four seconds back in second and Latvia third.

The lightweight men finished third in their semifinal in 6:32.390, needing to make the top three to get in the final. They had two seconds to spare over fourth finishers Ukraine. Belgium and Turkey were first and second in the race.

The men's four, racing a repechage, were second in 6:08.600, from which the first four went through. They led at 500m, but with 500m to race had slipped to fourth. They pulled themselves up to second to ensure they advanced.