Manson retains single scull title + Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes shine at Halbergs

Robbie Manson has retained his men’s premier single sculls title at the New Zealand Rowing Championships.

Manson, Mahe Drysdale, Jordan Parry, Harrison Somerville, Brook Robertson and Karl Manson lined up to contest the title with 29-year-old Manson winning in a time of 6:52.03, three seconds ahead of two-time Olympic Champion Drysdale.

In the women’s single sculls three-time Olympian Emma Twigg made an impressive debut in her first national event since the Rio 2016 Olympics, taking Gold in the women’s premier single scull in a time of 7:24.22.

Twigg returned to the Rowing New Zealand Summer Squad team in October 2018 and is vying for selection into the 2019 Elite team.

Above: Emma Twigg. Photo credit Rowing NZ 

In other competition mountain biker Anton Cooper won the Copa Catalana International Super Cup.

“Winner, winner chicken dinner! Great way to start the year, always hard to know what to expect coming up against such a strong field so early in the season but very happy to come out on top in such a fast, tactical race,” Cooper tweeted after the race.

In Australian canoe slalom athlete Luuka Jones placed fifth in the C1 at the Oceania Championships held in Perth over the weekend.

In Sydney Olivia McTaggart cleared 4.25m to win the Track Classic athletics meet. Kiwi Sprinter Brad Mathas then won the men's 800m in 1min 49.12s while Portia Bing claimed the women's 400m hurdles in 56.04s.

Meanwhile Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes took out a number of the accolades at the Halberg Awards.

Shotputter Tom Walsh earned the Supreme Award and Sportsman of The Year following a mammoth 2018 in which he claimed gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, won the prestigious Diamond League and the World Indoor title.

Canoe sprinter Lisa Carrington won Sportswoman of The Year after picking up a gold and three silver medals alongside her teammates at the World Champs.

In the team of the year category the Black Ferns Sevens reigned supreme. The Sevens Sisters had a standout 2018, winning the Commonwealth Games and the Sevens World Cup.

For time Olympian Beatrice Faumuina was inducted into the Halbergs Hall of Fame.