Wanganui rower Kerri Gowler and partner Grace Prendergast made a solid start to the Women's Coxless Pairs at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in France overnight yesterday.
The pair led their five-boat heat from start to finish at Aiguebelette, winning in a time of 7m 10.5s - a full sixseconds ahead of the second placed Canadian team, while the French crew were third.
Gowler and Prendergast's more sterner competition will come later from the American team of Felice Mueller and Eleanor Logan, who blitzed their heat in 7m 3.18s, while the record-holding English crew of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won their race in 7m 4.77s.
The Netherlands crew of Elisabeth Hogerwerf and Olivia Van Rooijen won their heat 7m 9.15s, while the runners-up in all three of the other heats also finished ahead of the Kiwi's time.
Gowler and Prendergast were also preparing last night (NZ time) to take the No5-6 seats in the Women's Eight, with Wanganui's Rebecca Scown on stroke.
