7 Aug 2011

Silver and bronze at World Junior Rowing Championships

9:02 am on 7 August 2011

New Zealand's won two medals at the World Junior Rowing Championships at Eton, with the men's coxed four taking silver and the women's four the bronze.

The men's junior four of Greg Brand, Andrew Potter, Adam Smith, Louis van Velthooven and cox Caleb Shepherd were down in fourth at 500 metres and a good length or so off the pace being set by Australia in the lead, but fought back and were in the medals by halfway.

The women's junior four of Grace Spoors, Frederika Archibald, Alice White and Catherin Shields recovered from a slow start and fourth place at the first 500 metre marker to fight their way into contention.

At halfway they were third behind the USA and Great Britain and at 1500 metres had just about carved their way into silver medal position.

But a great battle with the British was played out in the final 500 metres and they had to settle for the bronze by less than a second.

New Zealand's top junior rowers are amongst the first of the country's international athletes to sample a 2012 Olympic-ready facility at the regatta course at Dorney Lake, near London.

The event's acting as a test for the 2012 London Games.