Waikato eight crushes rival

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 34

Waikato eight crushes rival

PA Hamilton Waikato crushed its rival, North Shore, with controlled power to go straight through to the glamour champion men’s eight final of the New Zealand rowing championships in heats yesterday. In the midst of a driving rain-shower; Waikato, coached by Harry Mahon, who will have responsibility for the New Zealand eight at the Los Angeles Olympics in July, went ahead from the start over Lake Karapiro. Despite a faster rating down the 2000 m, North Shore, with its five Dusburg world championshiprSgold medallists, could never

reach Waikato, finishing five seconds and one-and-a-half lengths behind. Waikato, rating 34 strokes a minute to North Shore’s average 36, covered the course in smin 45.75. Joining Waikato in the final will be the winner of the second heat, the Avon No. 1 crew from Christchurch, who finished in the North Shore time of 5:50.7 after being hard-pushed by the Waikato No. 2 crew, basically the Waikato seniors with the inclusion of two premier oarsmen, Bruce Holden and Ross Dormer. The repechage for the men’s champion eight is today. Mr Mahon, whose crews

appear set to dominate the men’s championship finals on Saturday, was quietly pleased with his eight’s performance: “They went pretty well. North Shore looked like they were never going to come through at all,” he said. “Our guys didn’t look like they were going to give anyone a chance.” The Waikato crew — Geoff Horan, Herb Stevenson, Chris White, Greg Johnston, Ross Tong, Nigel Atherfold, Dave Rodger, Allan Horan and the cox, Brett Hollister — did not let up after their heat. Without leaving the water for aj break they went out for sleight kilometre training row up the lake.

Over at the North Shore camp, where training was set for later in the evening, the coach, Brian Hawthorne, faced the prospect of attempting once again to bring his now many times beaten world champions back into the right frame of mind for the final. “That race was unexpectedly bad,” he said. “We can get a finals mental approach by Saturday, but how much boat speed that gives us is hard to predict.” Earlier in the day the Waikato men’s champion coxed pair of White and Johnston scorched the course in a fast 7:06.8. The nearest were the Avon, pairing of Don Symon anJ-dark Meates, who finished over

six lengths behind in 7:21.7. The men’s champion coxless four saw a disappointing West End in the first heat. West End (Grant Botica, Ken Lawton, Shane O’Brien, Stu Henderson) wanted a fast time and impressive performance in a bid to make the Olympic trials. As it was, with a gusty wind blowing at that stage across the course, their time of 6:19.9 was not as they would have liked, but their coach, John White, predicted a better final. Then in the second heat Waikato No. 1 (Dave Rodger, Nigel Atherfold, Bruce Holden and Allan Horan) went in a more impressive 6:11.7.