N.Z. coxless four fights back for silver in rowing

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 36

N.Z. coxless four fights back for silver in rowing

NZPA staff correspondent Amsterdam New Zealand yesterday moved back towards the peak of international rowing when the coxless four crew won the silver medal at the world rowing championships.

The black-singleted New Zealanders were beaten by a length by the powerful East German crew, with Czechoslovakia finishing third, a length further back. For New Zealand the suc-i cess was the start of a move' back towards the top ofj world rowing and was the' best result by a major New! Zealand crew since the’ Olympic gold medal won by i the eight at the Munich) Olympics in 1972. While the fours crew of; David Lindstrom (stroke). Des Lock, Ivan Sutherland) and David Rodger had: always seen the East Ger-i man crew as its goal, the; Germans proved o„ the day: to be unbeatable. Their win on the Bosbaan course) yesterday made it four world championships in a row for Siegfried Britzke, Andreas Decker. Stephan Semmler and Wolfgang Mager — and the New Zealanders were the first to congratulate them. New Zealand’s silver medal came after a bad start had left it lying last at the 500 m mark — a clear four seconds behind the East Germans.

r At the 1000 m halfway , i:mark the New Zealanders' : were still well back — lying • fifth but a series of i sprints split the field over the next 500 m. pushing New' •; Zealand up to second place slat the 1500 m, just one sec-, f.ond behind the champions. : Maining a consistent ’ Stroke rate of between 38-40 i'strokes a minute, they) 'I closed to within half a) i!length of the East Germans: ' but a final sprint by the; Germans took them out of) danger, to cross the line ini l)6minutes 16.7 seconds. New [ Zealand came in in 6:19.1, | from Czechoslovakia (6.21.1), 'the Netherlands, Canada and Bulgaria. Afterwards. a jubilant :|New Zealand coach, Mr) Harry Mahon, said: ‘We did what we said w’e would —j we couldn't do any more.” i For Mt Mahon, the New) Zealanders’ success was a personal victory in his first ' season as a national coach; after taking over from Rusty Robertson — regarded by) many as the power behind) New Zealand's recent rowing' successes. "Its great to get some-j thing out of it,” Mr Mahon'

'i told the NZPA. "They gave) > I the East Germans a hell of a ; run for their money. f| “But we knew that we : could not run them down 'from behind — we had to s.get in front to beat them and we couldn’t get past, they were just too strong.” The New Zealanders were lias popular yesterday as if |they had won the race. The i;big crowd which watched :the race rowed in near- : perfect conditions cheered ' them on as they stretched i|to try and pass the East ' Germans and gave them , an enormous cheer as , they received their silver I medals from the president of the World Rowing : Federation. Mr Thomas Kel’)ler. I Perhaps the most ecstatic •: applause came from the I New Zealand team manager, | Mr Warren Cole — himself ( a medal-winner in the coxed j four at the Mexico Olympics in 1968. “It was a great race,” he jsaid. “That’s what you get j from strength, experience land complete dedication." In the morning, Great [Britain had given a boost to 'other nations by beating the '

pseemingly-in vincible East i Germans in two events. After East Germany had : totally dominated the i women’s finals on Sunday — i winning every event — i many observers had feared a , repeat yesterday. But Britain’s double sculls pair of > Christopher Baillieu and f Michael Hart took the gold ;in their race when they I overhauled the favoured - East Germans in the last I 500 m, and the British added I a silver to their medal tally : in the coxless pairs when i they beat the Germans on ; the line. Russia won the ■ race. In the sculls, however, the ; East Germans regained the) ascendancy, with Joachim) Dreifke taking advantage) : from lane one to beat the) ■ Olympic champion, Perttij , Karppenin of Finland, in al time of 7:12.2. In the eights East Germany sealed its world supremacy. The crew ted from the start, opening up a lead of well over three lengths on most of the field, with only the Russians chasing it. Finishing in a very fast 5:45.3, the East Germans were almost two lengths clear of Russia, with another length back to West Germany. For New Zealand the, eights final was a reminder of the very high financial cost of continually mounting an annual campaign in Europe. With the world championships to be held on Lake Karapiro next year — 'he eights were left behind this ( year — the first time in 10 years no black-singleted crew has contested thel eights final. i