9 Nov 2016

NZ rowers up for awards

11:20 am on 9 November 2016

New Zealand's Olympic champion rowers Eric Murray, Hamish Bond and Mahe Drysdale have been named as finalists for the 2016 World Rowing Awards.

Mahe Drysdale edges ahead of Croatia's Damir Martin in the men's sculls final.

Mahe Drysdale edges ahead of Croatia's Damir Martin in the men's sculls final. Photo: AFP

The pair of Murray and Bond and single sculler Drysdale are all up for the male crew of the year award.

The finalists are dominated by Olympic champions.

Murray and Bond extended their winning streak to 69 races with success in Rio, while Drysdale also defended his title by the narrowest of margins over Croatian Damir Martin.

Noel Donaldson is a finalist for coach of the year.

Donaldson coached Bond and Murray and the men's eight at Rio.

Last year no New Zealand crews were finalists despite the squad winning five world championship titles in 2015.

New Zealand's Eric Murray (R) and New Zealand's Hamish Bond (R) celebrate with their gold medals on the podium of Men's Pair final rowing competition at the Lagoa stadium during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 9, 2016.

Bond and Murray with their gold medals. Photo: AFP

Finalists for the 2016 World Rowing Male Crew of the Year

Pierre Houin, Jeremie Azou, France, lightweight men's double sculls

Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, New Zealand, men's pair

Lucas Tramer, Simon Schuerch, Simon Niepmann, Mario Gyr, Switzerland, lightweight men's four

Mahe Drysdale, New Zealand, men's single sculls

Martin Sinkovic, Valent Sinkovic, Croatia, men's double sculls

Finalists for the 2016 World Rowing Female Crew of the Year

Heather Stanning, Helen Glover, Great Britain, women's pair

Emily Regan, Kerry Simmonds, Amanda Polk, Lauren Schmetterling, Tessa Gobbo, Meghan Musnicki, Eleanor Logan, Amanda Elmore, Katelin Snyder (coxswain), United States, women's eight

Kimberley Brennan, Australia, women's single sculls

Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska, Natalia Madaj, Poland, women's double sculls

Annekatrin Thiele, Carina Baer, Julia Lier, Lisa Schmidla, Germany, women's quadruple sculls

Finalists for the 2016 World Rowing Para Crew of the Year

Birgit Skarstein, Norway, para women's single sculls

Rachel Morris, Great Britain, para women's single sculls

Grace Clough, Daniel Brown, Pamela Relph, James C. Fox, James Oliver (coxswain), Great Britain, para mixed coxed four

Roman Polianskyi, Ukraine, para men's single sculls

Lauren Rowles, Laurence Whiteley, Great Britain, para mixed double sculls

Finalists for the 2016 Coach of the Year

Alexis Besancon, France

Domenic Casey, Ireland

Noel Donaldson, New Zealand

Juergen Grobler, Great Britain

Roger Barrow, South Africa

Nikola Bralic, Croatia

-FISA