Eric Verdonk in fine form

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 72

Eric Verdonk in fine form

PA London The North Shore singles sculler, Eric Verdonk, turned in an excellent performance to win his heat and qualify for the semi-finals at the world rowing championships at Bled, Yugoslavia, yesterday. Verdonk, the bronze medallist. at the Seoul Olympics last year, won his heat in a time of 7min 16.155ec, rowing into a slight headwind. Although he was disappointed with his first 250 m in the 2000 m race, Verdonk lifted the tempo to head

off the strong Dutch oarsman, Henk-Jan Zwolle, by a slender o.76sec. Verdonk’s display was the only bright spot for the New Zealanders on the opening day of the championships. Both lightweight double scullers, Des Healey and Robbie Hamill, and the women’s coxless pair, Nikki Payne and Lynley Hannen, finished fourth in their heats and now head for repechages today. However, the single sculler is under no illusions about the magnitude of his task, according to the team manager,

Ivan Sutherland. “There ' are some really outstanding scullers here.” ; The world and Olympic ■ champion, Thomas Lange, i of East Germany, won his > heat easily and the veteran Finnish oarsman, ; Pertti Karpinen, is anl other in good form. i Healey and Hamill , were off the pace 500 m ' out and eased off in their i heat, which was won by I Spain, with Austria second and Italy third. The Kiwi ! pair have again drawn the i tough Austrians in their repechage, along with > Greece, Guatemala and , Sweden.

However, with the first three finishers to advance to the semi-finals, Mr Sutherland is “pretty confident” Healey and Hamill will get through. “They were a little disappointing, but it was a first up row and we half expected it.” The New Zealand women lightweight double scullers, Philippa Baker and Linda de Jong, finished second in their heat last night in eight minutes 25.87 seconds and will have to go through a repechage. The winner of the heat was a United States pair in 8:16.9.