West End four too good for medallists

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 56

West End four too good for medallists

NZPA staff correspondent Hamilton West End’s champion coxed four gave Olympic selectors something to think about when they overpowered North Shore in heats at the New Zealand rowing championships at Lake Karapiro yesterday.

Six Duisburg eight or coxed four gold medallists were spread through the Avon and North Shore crews in the second heat, but it was West End with a former New Zealand colt, Grant Botica, stroking, which came up trumps, beating North Shore by one-and-a-half lengths in 6min 25.95. North Shore (Conrad Robertson, Barrie Mabbott, Roger White-Parsons, Mike Stanley and the cox, Andy Hay) finished in 6:29.9 with Avon (George Keys, Mark Meates, Don Symon, Les O’Connell and the cox A. Bird) third in 6:31.7. The strong Waikato crew (Ross Tong, Greg Johnston, Chris White, Herb Stevenson and cox, Brett Hollister), had an easy win in the first heat with little opposition from the Zurich team from Switzerland. Star of Wellington finished third. Waikato went over the 2000 m in 6:36.6 but was

cruising virtually from the start. West End and Waikato have their place in the final and North Shore will have to go into the repechage tomorrow with Avon. “We are proving now we can race and beat a world championship standard selection,” said an elated West End coach, John White, after the heats. “I hope that has given the Olympic selectors something to think about,” he said. White said that West End was determined to get someone into the Olympic team. “They have been getting better with each race — let’s face it. They have nothing to lose. The pressure is on the others to perform.” It was an attitude mirrored by Botica, who looks certain to at least make the New Zealand Olympic team trials and possibly the Olympic team.

“They had so much pressure that race — we didn’t,” he said of North Shore. Botica was confident West End would give Waikato a run in the final on Saturday: “We were not really pushed this time — we have been getting better with every race,” he said. Botica, aged 22, said West End had concentrated on “short, sharp work” this week, working on sprints to get its rating up. For the North Shore coach, Brian Hawthorne, the defeat was a disappointment, especially as the poorer form of his world championship full crews is not going unnoticed, but he said the good thing to come from the heat result was an improvement in time from previous races. The form loss happened round Christmas, he said. It was difficult for him to point the finger at what was wrong. “We sort of feel the brilli-

ance of last year’s crew kept us searching for that again a bit too long this season,” he said. About four weeks ago he set about rebuilding the crew. “We are going for a feel that makes the boat go well,” he said. “I saw some improvement today and that’s something to work with,” said Mr Hawthorne. Today is a quieter day at the championships — only 56 races scheduled compared with 122 the first day and 113 yesterday. Most interest will be on the elimination heats of the men’s champion coxless four, women’s champion eight and men’s champion eight. The holder, Waikato, and North Shore face up in the second heat of the coxless four and then in the eights Waikato 1, the holder, and North Shore compete for a straight run into the final in the first heat