The first overseas rower arrives in New Zealand on Wednesday to prepare for next month's World Rowing Championships on Lake Karapiro.
More than 700 athletes are coming to the Waikato for what will be the biggest sporting event in New Zealand since the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Single sculler Mirka Knapkova from the Czech Republic will be greeted by event officials at Auckland International Airport on Wednesday morning.
Knapkova has previously won three world championship medals and is one of the top prospects for this year's event.
She will spend the next month fine-tuning her preparations for the championships which start on 30 October.
