The first overseas rower arrives in New Zealand today to prepare for next month's World Rowing Championships on Lake Karapiro.
Over the coming week's more than 700 athletes will descend on the Waikato for what will be the biggest sporting event in New Zealand since the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Here's our rowing reporter Andrew McRae.
Single sculler Mirka Knapkova from the Czech Republic will be greeted by event officials at Auckland airport this morning to mark the final leadup to the regatta.
Knapkova has previously won three World Championships 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 the 30th of October.
