Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Kiwi rowing pair Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast blitzes into final with world record

Liam Napier
By Liam Napier
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
28 Jul, 2021 04:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler in action. Photo / Getty

Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler in action. Photo / Getty

Successive world records tumbled in the dramatic women's pair semifinals as New Zealand's Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast emphasised their gold medal favouritism by blitzing the field to storm into Thursday's final.

In the first semifinal, boosted by the presence of a strong tailwind, unheralded Greek pair Maria Kyriacou and Christina Bourbou laid down the gauntlet by breaking Gowler and Prendergast's previous world record (6:49.08) in a time of 6.48.70.

Assuming that challenge, Gowler and Prendergast charged out to lead from start to finish in their second semifinal. Winning by two lengths, they regained their world record by finishing in 6.47.41. Russia was 2.8 seconds back in second, with Spain third.

Great Britian and Canada progressed alongside the commanding Greek pair from their semifinal.

Full Kiwi schedule below. Click on a name to see athlete's bio, upcoming events, past Games performance and medal chance.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Having missed out on a spot in the New Zealand women's pair boat to Rebecca Scown and Genevieve Behrent, who claimed silver in Rio five years ago, Gowler and Prendergast are clearly motivated to clinch gold in Tokyo.

They will now race for gold on successive days from Thursday, with the pair's final at 12.30pm followed by the women's eight final on Friday.

Gowler and Prendergast, the reigning world champions, have been a constant force for the past six years by claiming seven world championship medals that includes silver in 2018 and 2015, and gold in 2017. They now have the chance to confirm their elite status as Olympic champions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler in action. Photo / Getty
Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler in action. Photo / Getty

The duo contested two heats – the pair and eight – within three hours on Saturday and had no trouble progressing to both finals.

As part of the eight boat, Gowler and Prendergast finished fourth in Rio and are now seeking to claim two medals in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the men's eight, featuring two-time Olympics gold medallist Hamish Bond, qualified for Friday's final after winning the repechage.

They came from behind to power home ahead of Britain, USA and Australia.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'Serious shortcomings' in pilot academy management and systems - authority

08 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Health NZ stops funds for Fit for Surgery programme

08 Jul 05:01 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

$3.2m confirmed for rural health centre

07 Jul 09:14 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'Serious shortcomings' in pilot academy management and systems - authority

'Serious shortcomings' in pilot academy management and systems - authority

08 Jul 06:00 PM

NZQA says the academy is allowed to operate 'in a limited way'.

Health NZ stops funds for Fit for Surgery programme

Health NZ stops funds for Fit for Surgery programme

08 Jul 05:01 PM
$3.2m confirmed for rural health centre

$3.2m confirmed for rural health centre

07 Jul 09:14 PM
Taihape books return to premier final

Taihape books return to premier final

07 Jul 05:01 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP