Wanganui rowing has a new world champion, another medal from their top export, and a fair share of the excellent return for the New Zealand team at the world rowing champs in Amsterdam after the weekend's A Finals.
The 20-year-old Aramoho club member Kerri Gowler and her under-23 women's pairgold winning partner Grace Prendergast had been minted into a new women's four for the senior New Zealand team alongside Kelsey Bevan and Kayla Pratt.
The selectors' faith to create a squad just for these girls was handsomely rewarded as Gowler and company dominated on the windy Bosbaan course, winning the non-Olympic event by six seconds ahead of the US and Chinese teams.
They beat the eight-year-old record by more than 10 seconds with their 6m 14.36s time, although governing body Fisa does not recognise world records for such races due to contrasting conditions at venues and regattas.
Having been retained as the women's pair for the world champs despite Gowler and Prendergast's success, Wanganui Union club member Rebecca Scown and partner Louise Trappitt took bronze in the A Final, behind Great Britain and the United States.
Olympic champions Heather Stanning and Helen Glover set a world's best time of 6m 50.61s, finishing just under four seconds ahead of the Kiwis. For Scown, it was her sixth world championship medal alongside her Olympic bronze from London.
In the women's quad, Wanganui's Sarah Gray teamed with Erin-Monique Shelton, Lucy Spoors, and Georgia Perry to finish fifth in their A final.
