Golds for NZ at rowing world champs
The women’s eight of Ella Greenslade, Emma Dyke, Lucy Spoors, Kelsey Bevan, Grace Prendergast, Kerri Gowler, Elizabeth Ross, Jackie Gowler and coxswain Caleb Shepherd became the first NZ women’s eight to win a world champs gold as they overtook Australia in the latter stages. That saw them triumph in a time of five minutes 56.91 seconds – only 2.75 seconds slower than the quickest time in the class’s history – with Australia 2.72s back and the traditional powerhouse United States taking bronze.
Nine New Zealand rowing boats are going to the Tokyo Olympics – including the new world champion women’s eight.
On a dramatic final day of the world champs in Austria, the New Zealand team won two golds at the regatta which doubles as the major qualifying regatta for boats for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
ITU World Championships U23 Mixed Relay
New Zealand won the under-23/junior mixed relay title as the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Grand Final concluded in Lausanne.
The team of Hannah Knighton, Tayler Reid, Ainsley Thorpe and Hayden Wilde finished just seven seconds clear of Britain to seal first place.
Thorpe and Wilde were part of a young team that secured a first ever mixed relay team victory for New Zealand at the ITU World Triathlon Series event in Edmonton last month.
Their rapid rise continued in Lausanne as the quartet fought back to take victory.
Three Kiwis on Podium at Winter Games NZ
A trio of Kiwi freeskiers finished on the podium in Sunday’s slopestyle events at the Winter Games NZ in Cardrona.
Auckland’s Ben Barclay claimed victory in the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) men’s competition, where Wanaka’s Luca Harrington placed third, while Queenstown’s Ruby Andrews finished second in the women’s event.
Barclay was never in doubt for the podium as soon as he had the first run, taking the lead right from the get-go with a score of 87.33.
Scoring highly for the difficulty and variety of his rail tricks and then backing up with well-executed and technical jump tricks, the win was Barclay’s for the taking.
“I’m over the moon with the win,” he said after the competition. “It was a long road after that high score being on my first run, I was pretty anxious throughout but overall I couldn’t ask for a better result.”
NZ Sailors Finish World Cup on a High
Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox led from start to finish to win the men’s 470 top-10, double points shootout to climb to seventh overall and Susannah Pyatt and Brianna Reynolds-Smith were third in the women’s 470 race to also finish seventh.
Six New Zealand crews finished in the top 10 at the World Cup Series regatta and one of the most significant was the women’s 470 combination of Pyatt and Reynolds-Smith.
Cycling NZ name Team for World Road Champs
A powerful Vantage New Zealand team, dominated by World Tour riders, has been named to contest the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire next month.
Three of the four men named for the road team are currently competing in the Vuelta a Espana, the final Grand Tour of the year, with the three-strong women’s team all with World Tour team experience.
The 17-strong team will compete in the championships from 22 to 30 September, based in Harrogate
Cooper top 20 at Mountain Bike World Champs
Anton Cooper is already looking ahead to a vital 2020 season after a creditable 20th placing in the elite male cross-country at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Canada.
Coming in under-prepared after a bout of ill-health, the Trek Factory Team professional rode consistently on the ultra-demanding Mont Sainte Anne course and finished strongly for his 20th placing.
“I gave it everything and 20th in the world is not to be sneezed at. I know that with good health and the right training I am capable of much better than that,” said the Altherm New Zealand elite rider.
