16 Jul 2018

Manson beats Drysdale for world championship berth

7:55 am on 16 July 2018

New Zealand has won five gold medals at the World Cup Rowing regatta in Lucerne with single sculler Robbie Manson claiming the word championship seat after victory in his event.

Robbie Manson has won the men's single sculls final in Lucerne

Robbie Manson has won the men's single sculls final in Lucerne Photo: © NZ Rowing 2018

Manson and two time Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale went head to head for the World Championship berth with Manson winning and Drysdale fourth in the final in Lucerne.

Manson dominated the second half of the race to finish clear of the field with a winning time of six minutes 55.30 seconds more than four seconds ahead of silver medallist Oliver Zeidler of Germany, and most importantly Drysdale.

The Blenheim rower made a statement declaring his satisfaction in securing a seat for the 2018 rowing world championships to be contested in Bulgaria this September.

"The result went the way I wanted it to but maybe not the race exactly to plan but I've done the hard training and that's what really matters." says Manson

"I have consistently beaten Mahe over the 2k racing and honestly he hasn't got close to me in a single race."

"It's good that on a day that counts I was able to get the job done and do what I've been doing up until now."

The women's pair of Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler remain unbeaten since 2017 after their victory today, while the other gold medals went to Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue in the women's double, the men's pair of Tom Murray and Michael Burke and the women's eight.

The women's lightweight pair of Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle won a silver.

- RNZ