1 Oct 2017

Gold, silver and bronze for NZ rowers

9:40 am on 1 October 2017

New Zealand rowers have won gold, silver and bronze medals at the world champs in Florida this morning.

Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler won gold in the women's pair.

They led throughout the race to finish three and a half second ahead of seconds ahead of the second placed Americans.

Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler are all smiles after winning gold in Florida

Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler are all smiles after winning gold in Florida Photo: Supplied: Rowing NZ

After winning silver in the 2015 world champs, Prendergast and Gowler were overlooked for selection in the boat for last year's Rio Olympics, with Rebecca Scown and Genevieve Behrent selected.

Scown and Behrent won silver with Prendergast and Gowler joining the women's eight which finished fourth.

"It's been a long week of nerves, so we're really pleased to have got this today. We thought it might come down to a sprint at the end, so we went out and just tried hard to compete," said Gowler.

"We had taken confidence from our season but when it comes down to the final anyone can do anything, so we're stoked to come away with the win."

Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle finished second in the lightweight double just pipped by Romania for gold in a frantic last 500m.

"The last 150m was just tunnel vision, I said to Jackie, go go go. It was the best race we could have done today," said McBride.

Jamie Hunter and Tom Murray won a bronze medal in the men's pair.