Rowing: Double scull crown for NZ

Zoe McBride during the Lightweight Women's Single Sculls heats on Lucerne Rotsee. Photo / Getty Images

Life on the water just gets better for Zoe McBride.

The 19-year-old from Dunedin tonight backed up her world under 23 title of last year by repeating it, winning the lightweight double scull crown with Jackie Kiddle at Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

To make it even sweeter, the pair clocked 6min 54.830s, a world best time for the event, leading from start to finish to beat home crews from China and Switzerland by around six seconds.

They cleaned out the old mark, 6:59.31, set by Greece in 2011.

''We didn't expect that at all and we were told when we were standing on the pontoon. It just topped off an amazing campaign for us," McBride said.

The pair - McBride rows for the Nelson club, Kiddle for Wellington's Star club -- had a plan to take charge early and it worked a treat.

''We really just wanted to go out and dominate. That's what we did and we left it all out there."

McBride didn't distinguish between her two world titles. Her first was with Sophie Mackenzie, who went on to win the world lightweight double title with Olympian Julie Edward in Amsterdam late last year.

''It's definitely just as special for me. I can't compare them, they were completely different years and partners. For me it's just special to go out and do it with Jackie."
Kiddle had no doubt what the key reason was for their success.

''The elite team environment is so professional, and we have learnt so much from being with the lightweight women and the whole team. That made the difference between doing well at this regatta to winning at this regatta."

McBride heads off to join the New Zealand elite squad at a training camp in Slovenia ahead of competing at the world championships in Aiguebelette, France at the end of next month.

McBride will contest the non-Olympic lightweight single, but given her rate of progress, a big future is assuredly ahead.

There were a brace of silver medals elsewhere for New Zealand last night.

Double scullers Brook Donoghue and Claudia Hyde were second behind Romania, in a time of 6:58.770; while the quad of Jordan Parry, Russell and Cam Crampton and Lewis Hollows were second in 5:47.910 just over two seconds behind Canada with Australia third.

''We are really happy with the race," Hyde said. ''We just got beaten by a bigger and better crew. We are pretty proud of ourselves as we couldn't do any better."

The coxed four of Louis van Velthooven, Drikus Conradie, Cam Webster, Corey McCaffrey and cox Sam Bosworth also won silver behind Italy a day earlier.