Duo earn podium places in Lucerne

HI-HO SILVER:Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler with their women's pairs silver from the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

IT WAS more medals for the trophy cases of Wanganui's rowing exponents as Kerri Gowler and Rebecca Scown were among another big haul for the New Zealand team at the third and final World Rowing Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.

In the finals early yesterday morning, NZ time, Gowler, on stroke with her women's pairs partner Grace Prendergast, took silver, chasing home Great Britain's Olympic and world championship winners Helen Glover and Heather Stanning.

They finished in just over seven minutes, 2.65 seconds behind the Brits, with the Denmark crew 6.85s back in third.

Gowler and Prendergast then joined Wanganui's Rebecca Scown, on stroke, in the women's eight, who finished their final in 6m 9.11s, second to Canada by just 1.34s, with Great Britain third.

The silvers for the Wanganui rowers and their crews were part of 11 Kiwi medals secured, nine of them in Olympic class events.

New Zealand won the trophy for most medals across all three World Rowing Cup regattas, despite competing in only two.

It was the first time on the podium for the women's eight since last year's third regatta, although the United States and Russia did not compete last weekend.

In any case, it bodes well for qualifying a New Zealand crew next month to make the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"This is a major stepping stone," said Scown.

"We're such an inexperienced crew so to win a heat and then take silver in the final is the most important thing we've done.

"I love sitting in the stroke position because I feel so confident in the group behind me. I just support the rhythm they create."

The national selectors had faith that 21-year-old Gowler and 23-year-old Prendergast would have the stamina to pull double duty in Lucerne.

"It's the first time we've done it, so it's exciting," Prendergast said. "It helped that we avoided a repechage in the eight to conserve energy."

Gowler and Prendergast had won bronze at the second World Rowing Cup regatta in June, behind Great Britain and the US.