Rowing
New Zealand’s elite rowers have shone at the 2019 World Championships, winning a staggering four gold and two silver medals.
Overnight on Sunday New Zealand took gold in the women’s double and women’s eight, and silver in the women’s single.
A day earlier the women’s pair and lightweight women’s double were both crowned World Champions while the men’s pair took silver.
Above: The men's pair
The women’s eight win marks the first time New Zealand has ever won that division at a Rowing World Championships.
“That was incredible! We trusted ourselves and we all couldn’t be happier with this result. Our plan was to stay focused and internal and we did just that,” said crew member Jackie Gowler.
With four gold medals and two silvers, New Zealand finishes at the top of the medal table for the 2019 World Rowing Championships.
The results have seen nine New Zealand boat classes qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The women’s eight, men’s single, men’s double join the women’s single, women’s pair, women’s double, lightweight women’s double, women’s quad and men’s pair boat classes in qualifying for Tokyo 2020.
Above: Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe
Yachting
49er FX sailors Alex Maloney and Molly Meech have won their medal race to take silver at the World Cup Series regatta in Enoshima, Japan.
The Olympic silver medallists went into the top-10 shootout in fourth, with silver the best realistic outcome. The pair got off to a terrific start and moved into the lead on the second beat before cruising to a comfortable win in the 12-18 knot conditions.
It was the perfect tonic after the pair felt they let a medal slip away when they finished fourth at last month’s Olympic test event at the same venue.
"It was really cool to execute the medal race," Meech said. "It was a little bit of redemption for us after the test event and it was nice to finish the week on a good note. With only five races [before the medal race] it was a really short regatta so it was nice to sneak into the medals today.
"Whenever you're on the podium here at Enoshima, it's a good reflection on how you are sailing. We have a bit more to learn about the Olympic venue but we've got one more year and a lot of time to come up here."
Six New Zealand crews finished in the top 10 at the World Cup Series regatta.
Triathlon
New Zealand has been crowned Junior/Under 23 World Champions at the Triathlon World Championships in Lausanne.
The New Zealand team of Hannah Knighton, Tayler Reid, Ainsley Thorpe and Hayden Wilde stuck with the pack and then broke away in the last leg to take gold.
Knighton led the team out on the first leg with a strong 300m swim, 4.8km bike and 1.37km run.
New Zealand was sitting in fourth when Wilde began the last leg. The 22-year-old produced a solid swim and made a break on the bike which he built into a seven second lead into the run. Wilde held onto his lead to celebrate with his teammates on the finish line.
“I had one of my best swims and went well on the bike. I didn’t realise that I had such a gap going into the transition and I was stoked to hold on for the win to celebrate with the team,” said Wilde.
“It was insane, the team was so good, it was a new event for me and they’d all raced together before so it was so great to have their support and to learn from them,” said Knighton.
Basketball
The Tall Blacks went toe to toe with another giant in the basketball world in their opening game at the FIBA World Cup but were undone by a third quarter lapse, losing 94-102 to Brazil in Nanjing.
The Kiwis started strong and were leading 56-50 in the third quarter but momentum then swung Brazil’s way, with the South Americans unleashing a barrage of threes.
“That feels like one that got away, we came out with good mindset I think and played a really tough first half and probably should have been up more if we had knocked down a few more shots,” said Tom Abercrombie.
“The third quarter saw a few little errors, they made a couple of shots and we dropped our heads for a few second and that is all it takes at this level and they capitalized. We made a nice run at the end, but it was too little too late.”
New Zealand face Montenegro next on September 3rd, tip off 8pm NZT.
Coming up this week…
New Zealand’s elite surfers are getting ready to compete in Japan at the ISA World Games.
Ella Williams will be joined in the women's field by Paige Hareb and former national champion Raiha Ensor, with Ricardo Christie, Billy Stairmand and Kehu Butler in the men's competition.
The Games present the first opportunity for athletes to earn a spot in the lineup for surfing's Olympic Games debut in 2020.
Our slalom kayakers are also gearing up for their next World Cup in Prague.
Jack Dangen will join Callum Gilbert and Finn Butcher in the men’s K1 team, with Ben Gibb in men’s C1. In the women’s division Luuka Jones and Hannah Thomas will both be doubling in K1 and C1.
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