Rowing: British shift could cost NZ

Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge (second), Hamish Bond and Eric Murray (first) and Serbia's pair (third) on the podium. Photo / Getty Images

The shift of top British rowers Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed from the coxless pair to the coxless four for the London Olympics could trigger a reaction that could cost New Zealand a potential Games medal.

Triggs Hodge and Reed are regarded as Britain's best oarsmen. They are defending gold medallists in the four from Beijing, an event Britain has won at the last three Olympics.

If the move between boats comes to fruition after the March 10-11 British trials, it will be good and bad for New Zealand. It will make men's pair Hamish Bond and Eric Murray almost unbackable favourites on Dorney Lake in August, having been unbeaten in the class since first racing in 2009 but with Triggs Hodge and Reed as their fiercest rivals.

However, the Kiwi coxless four's medal chances will take a dip. They have produced solid performances including bronze at the 2010 Karapiro world championships but the competition will now be extreme.

Last year New Zealand slumped to second in the B final when bowman Carl Meyer was ruled out with a bulging disc in his back. Before his omission they were contenders, finishing second and sixth at the world cup lead-up events.

The situation is compounded by news Australians Duncan Free and Drew Ginn, gold medallists in the men's pair at Beijing, are re-creating an "Oarsome Foursome". That title was originally given to the Australian fours that won Olympic gold in 1992 and 1996. They will make Australia a tough opponent.

Such news comes at an awkward time as Rowing New Zealand prioritises its medal-winning crews at the Olympic trials, starting this Saturday. As it stands, a sweep oar squad of 14 (so not including scullers and Bond and Murray) have trained at Lake Karapiro. They will eventually fill 12 positions in the coxless four and eight crews.

The extra numbers cover potential injuries - the likes of former world champions Carl Meyer and James Dallinger have been rehabilitating - and provide competition ahead of crew selection, when 14 will become 12. It mirrors the situation where eight athletes competed for six spots ahead of the Athens Games.

Despite the British and Australian decisions, the selection of the strongest New Zealand four remains a priority.

Given the mentality and the record of New Zealand crews in recent seasons, no medal is out of the reckoning. They will see it as a challenge more than a hindrance but achieving bronze or better would be a phenomenal performance with the likes of Greece, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands also likely to field strong crews.

It is prudent to back the four more than the eight for glory. For an eight to attend London (and become the first New Zealand crew to do so in that class since Los Angeles 1984) they can only qualify by winning the 'regatta of death' at Lucerne in May. It will mean peaking twice in the season, hardly ideal.

Meanwhile, at yesterday's national championships on Lake Karapiro, Mahe Drysdale won his seventh single sculls title.

The race is one of rowing's most competitive anywhere on the globe with four current or world champions - Drysdale, defending title-holder Nathan Cohen, Eric Murray and Peter Taylor - in the field.

Drysdale left few doubts about his credentials to challenge for a second Olympic medal later this year. Unlike 2008 when he and Rob Waddell endured the best-of-three races for the single sculls berth, this year his selection is expected to be a formality.

"It pretty much went to plan initially," Drysdale said. "I wanted to stay with the early leaders, Eric and Pete, and by the 1000m mark I was nearing the front. I established a good lead in the third 500m. There was nothing spectacular but the final 500m felt comfortable until Cohen surprised me a wee bit with his sprint.

"Suddenly I could see he was challenging. He's a tough competitor so it's nice to get one back over him. The rivalry is there. I've been racing him since 2005 and there has never been a race where I've beaten him comfortably. Every time we go out it is a world class race. That's part of why we [Rowing New Zealand] are so good.

"We're fortunate to have these sorts of fields. Few other sports in the world would see the current world champion challenged at their national championships. It is a privileged place to be."