Rowing: Gowler joins hometown elite rowers

The performances of Kerri Gowler (right) and Grace Prendergast at the under-23 world championships have gained them selection for the world championships. PHOTO/AP

Wanganui can lay claim to four of New Zealand's best rowers after Kerri Gowler was named in a women's coxless four to compete at the world championships in Amsterdam this month.

At the conclusion of the under-23 world rowing championships Rowing New Zealand announced an additional crew would be included in the 2014 world rowing championship line-up.

The women's coxless four, comprising Gowler, Grace Prendergast, Kelsey Bevan and Kayla Pratt, will compete in Amsterdam.

Rowing New Zealand high-performance manager Alan Cotter said the selectors were impressed with the under-23 women's pair and the two reserve athletes' progress and felt it was fair to give them an opportunity to compete at the elite level.

Gowler is a former Nga Tawa Diocesan School rower who remains a member of the Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club.

She joins fellow AWRC member Chris Harris (NZL Men's Quad), Rebecca Scown (Union Boat Club), who gained selection in the NZL women's pair, and Sarah Gray, who went to Wanganui High School and is a former AWRC member. Gray is in the NZL women's quad.

AWRC head coach Ian Weenink was hardly surprised given the large number of elite athletes Wanganui had produced over many years.

"Wanganui has turned out elite athletes for a very long time and not only rowers," Weenink said yesterday.

"Many of our rowers have been and are world class and I think that's because we have the facilities, provide good coaching at all levels and we look after them.

"I know I try to look after ours. You've got to do the best by the athletes and if you do they give back.

"I love sitting back and watching some of our homegrown rowers competing on the world stage - it really makes you feel proud."

Cotter said a coxless women's four was an exciting addition to the team after the World Cup results at Lucerne and following the gold medal performance by the under-23 pair at their respective championships.

"There is depth and talent within the high-performance rowing programme, it stands us in good stead just over two years out from the Rio Olympics and through to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The aim is to give these women further experience at the elite level and the focus for the coaches and all crews selected is to lift their performance for the world championships next month," Cotter said.

An impressive time was clocked by the under-23 pair in Sunday's final; they broke the previous under-23 championship world best time. The crew had been tracking well into the regatta and had delivered at the age group event. Cotter said it justified why the under-23 pair duo have been included in the world championships team.

"Grace and Kerri's main focus previous to this announcement had been to win gold at the under-23 world championships and their efforts now switch to Amsterdam," he said.

"They only found out about the selectors' decision, as we wanted to ensure they focused on their performance at this event. We have confidence in their abilities and have given them a chance to merge with Kayla and Kelsey to compete in the four."

Cotter believes it is important to give Gowler and Prendergast, along with former non-travelling reserves Kayla Pratt and Kelsey Bevan, the chance to compete in the coxless four even though the event is a non-Olympic class.

The world championships will run in Amsterdam between August 24 and 31.