KEY POINTS:
Despite off races for the men's and women's eights New Zealand crews posted generally strong performances in the opening heats of the World Cup rowing regatta in Amsterdam overnight with most progressing directly to semifinals.
But the men's and women's eights struggled and will need to make significant
improvement if they are to make the semifinals.
The Evers-Swindell sisters returned to form winning their heat of the women's double scull as did the men's coxless four of Carl Meyer, James Dallinger, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond who qualified directly to the semifinals with the second fastest time in the event.
The men's coxless pair of Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater cruised through to the semifinals after a comfortable second place finish behind heat winners France.
Juliette Haigh and Nicky Coles in the women's coxless pair are through to the semifinals following their 2nd place heat finish while world champion single sculler Mahe Drysdale won his heat as did lightweight scullers Storm Uru and Duncan Grant.
The men's double scull, with last minute substitute Joseph Sullivan partnering Nathan Cohen, led for the first 1000 metres before slipping to third place and now will go to the repecharges.
As will the men's lightweight double scull of Peter Taylor and Graham Oberlin-Brown - which finished just behind world lightweight single champ Zac Purchase and his British team mate Mark Hunter.
The women's eight finished a distant third behind the Netherlands and Great Britain in their heat while the men's eight found themselves in a tough race and lost touch with the leaders early on.
Heat Results (New Zealand only):
Men's Lightweight Single Scull: Storm Uru, 1, 7minutes 11seconds - qualifies directly for semi final
Duncan Grant, 1, 7min 17sec - qualifies directly for semi final
Men's Open Single Scull: Mahe Drysdale, 1, 7min 4secs - qualifies directly for semi final
Women's Coxless Pair: Juliette Haigh, Nicky Coles, 2, 7mins 15sec (Heat winners China) - progress directly to semi final
Men's Coxless Pair: Nathan Twaddle, George Bridgewater, 2, 6mins 36sec (Heat winners France) - progress directly to semi final
Women's Double Scull: Georgina Evers-Swindell, Caroline Evers-Swindell, 1, 7mins 5sec - qualifies directly to semi final
Men's Double Scull: Joseph Sullivan, Nathan Cohen, 3, 6min 27sec (Heat winner, Great Britain, second Australia) - progress to repecharge
Men's Coxless Four: Carl Meyer, James Dallinger, Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, 1, 6min 1sec - qualify directly to semi final
Men's Lightweight Double Scull: Graham Oberlin-Brown, Peter Taylor, 2, 6min 31sec (Heat winners Great Britain) - progress to repecharge.
Women's Eight: Tamsin Gilbert, Simone Hudson, Jaime Nielsen, Rebecca Scown, Fi Paterson, Paula Twining, Emma-Jane Feathery, Erin Tolhurst, Candice Bardsley, 3, 6min 25sec (Heat winners Netherlands, second Great Britain) - progress to repecharge
Men's Eight: Graeme Hill, Carl Finlay, Benjamin Scott, Selwyn Cleland, Paul Gerritsen, Steven Cottle, Rob Hellstrom, Dane Boswell, Daniel Quigley, 6, 5min 46sec (Heat winners Poland, second Great Britain) - progress to repecharge
- NZPA