Rowing: Double delight for NZ World Cup crews

Louise Ayling and Julia Edwards. Photo / AP

New Zealand had double lightweight delight at the final World Cup regatta in Munich last night.

Louise Ayling and Julia Edward, a new combination this season, led from start to finish in a fine display to win the women's title.

Minutes later, Storm Uru and Peter Taylor continued their strong form this season to win the men's crown.

Throw in another gold for Olympic favourites Eric Murray and Hamish Bond in the coxless pair, plus silver medals for two-time world champion men's and women's double scullers Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan and Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown, and it was a solid performance from the New Zealand crews in their final hitout before the Olympic Games regatta at Eton Dorney at the end of next month.

Ayling and Edward were highly impressive after a second placing behind the strong Chinese crew at the previous regatta in Lucerne late last month.

They clocked 7min 22.88s to head home Danes Anna Lolk Thomsen and Julianne Rasmussen by almost two seconds.

Uru and Taylor dominated their final but had to scrap right at the end against fast-finishing Frenchmen Jeremie Azou and Stany Delayre, winning by only .19s in 6:40.21.

Murray and Bond recorded 6:42.97 to see off Australians James Marburg and Brodie Buckland (6:47.72) and France's Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette (6:48.72).

For the second time in two regattas, Haigh and Scown again trailed home Brits Helen Glover and Heather Stanning by four seconds, and the two-time world champions now know the scale of the challenge facing them at the Games.

Cohen and Sullivan roared home with a sizzling last 500m to grab second after trailing the field at halfway.

They crossed in 6:36.06, less than a second behind Norwegians Nils Jakob Hoff and Kjetil Borch.

New Zealand qualified in eight A finals last night. Five-time world single sculler Mahe Drysdale sat the regatta out with a minor injury.