Fours rowing gold to N.Z.

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 8

Fours rowing gold to N.Z.

NZP A Duisburg New Zealand yesterday took the gold in the coxed fours at the World Rowing Championships in West Germany, and took it with ease and style more than a length ahead of East Germany. Just how much ease surprised the crowd and surprised the New Zealand fours coach, Mr Brian Hawthorne. “In the company they had today that winning margin is nearly unbelievable, but who cares. They took the gold and that’s what counts,” he said. For New Zealand it was a race right off the drawing board. They had their race plan before the race and they stuck to it and all the other crews seemed to oblige. The plan called for the crew to be in its racing stride after 400 metres and stick to it till just before the 1000 metres mark and then take off. The Kiwis did just that At the 500 m mark they were rating 37 strokes and lay in fourth position. At the 1000 m mark they were in second position behind East Germany with Russia and the Czechs following. It was then that the Kiwis upped their rate and at the 750 mark they were clear. At the 500 m mark they were nearly a boat length in front of East Germany and Russia and still puHing away. As they crossed the line it was the Kiwi four in front by one length and a “• East® Germany followed in

6min 15.295, and Russia third in 6min 16.265. The New Zealand victory ended 10 years of Eastern European domination of the event The All Black oarsmen stormed through the field to beat East Germany, world champions for the past six years. The East Germans and the Soviet Union had previously won every world title over the past 10 years. Results:— New Zealand (Robertson, Johnston, Trask, O’Connell, Hollister), 6:13.89, 1; East Germany, 6:16.29, 2; Soviet Union, 6:16.26, 3; West Germany, 6:19.65, 4; Czechoslovakia, 6:20.26, 5; Britain, 6:23.92, 6.