New Zealand’s Ben Taylor and Oliver Welch, competing in their first World Championship together, have won gold in the men’s pair in Shanghai, China.
In just a few short months they’ve progressed from winning the Varese round of the World Cup in their first regatta together, to consolidating their potential with silver two weeks later in Lucerne, to now being crowned world champions.
The New Zealanders were on their A-game from the very first strokes, leading out against a highly touted Romanian crew through the first 100m.
They surged to a 2m lead over European champions Romania within the first 250m and just kept inching away from the field.
“Usually we go out for two or 300 metres and then settle into a bit of a rhythm, but it was just such a bulletproof rhythm [today],” said Welch.
“We just knew we were on to something good, we knew we were going to have to work hard but were definitely in with a shot. Just seeing them fall further and further behind was pretty rewarding.”
Confidence and attention to detail had them out to a length at the 1000m mark.
“It’s definitely something we’ve been working on throughout the regatta,” said Welch. “Trusting our base speed and for me in the bow, just sitting behind Ben, letting him lead it. We just did it perfectly today.”
The predicted threat from the Romanians in the third 500m never materialised.
New Zealand’s margin kept increasing, Taylor and Welch crossing in 6 minutes 37.87 seconds. Romania came in second in 6.42.85, followed by Switzerland in 6.43.84.
“I guess getting into our first race together at the Nationals in February was a good first taste of what it could be like,” said Taylor. “We actually went out and dominated the first K in that one too. I was thinking maybe we can be in the medals at these World Cups, but to be able to be world champion ... it’s definitely something else!”
It’s been a rapid ascent for Welch, who’s only just turned 22, and is competing in his first full World Championships. His ability was foreshadowed when he and Josh Vodanovich won the Men’s Pair at the Under 23 World Championships in Canada just 12 months ago.
Veronica Wall, Stella Clayton-Greene, Kathryn Glen and Ella Cossill were in their first regatta together as a crew and lined up for the medal race in the Women’s Quad immediately after the pair.
It was a tough act to follow but they can be pleased with their progress, crossing the line in 6.47.90 to be ranked fifth in the world.
The Netherlands reversed the disappointment of losing to Great Britain in the final strokes of the Olympic final in Paris to win in 6.32.92.
Double scullers Ben Mason and Finn Hamill can look back on their first season together with a sense of achievement, even if the pinnacle didn’t finish as they’d hoped.
They won bronze at World Cup Varese and silver at Lucerne where they were just 0.05 seconds behind Serbia’s Nikolaj Pimenov and Martin Mackovic.
The duel with Pimenov and Mackovic has continued through the week in Shanghai, first in the heat, and then in today’s semifinal.
In a stacked field that also included Poland, Switzerland, Belgium and Australia, New Zealand couldn’t break into the three semifinal spots after conceding a length in the first 500m.
Serbia dictated from start to finish, crossing the line in 6.36.46. New Zealand clocked 6.40.23 for fourth spot.
They have the B Final tomorrow and then Mason is scheduled to race the Mixed Double with Kathryn Glen on Sunday.