It is with great excitement we look towards the Tokyo Olympic Games. The New Zealand Rowing Foundation certainly watches on with great pride as so many of the current Olympic rowing team have benefited from NZRF grants as Under 23 athletes over the years. Many thanks to those of you that have made a donation to the NZRF in the past; you have also contributed to the journey of these NZ rowers to make the start line of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. In addition to this, all of these New Zealand athletes will benefit from the Legacy Medal programme, funded by the NZRF, as do all New Zealand Rowing representatives.
We are delighted to offer you a preview of each New Zealand Rowing crew competing in Tokyo below as well as details of the race schedule and TV coverage for your viewing pleasure. Like us, we know you’ll be on the edge of your seats and cheering for our kiwi rowers. You can catch the first of the rowing on one of Sky Sports 12 Olympic channels (as well as some coverage on TVNZ) this Friday 23 July between 11:30am – 3:10pm. You’ll find more details below. Enjoy!
Men’s Eight
The Men’s eight are coming into Tokyo fresh from their qualification for the Tokyo Olympics at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta held in Lucerne, Switzerland. At this regatta they held off Romania to win the final and secure one of the two spots left for Tokyo. Other crews to watch out for in this event will be those from Germany, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. The Kiwi eight wasn’t far off the pace at the 2019 World Championships and look to be tracking well in this 2020/2021 domestic season so will be a medal contender. An achievement not seen in this boat class for New Zealand since the 1972 and 1976 Olympic games.
Race schedule for the Men’s coxed eight at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Sunday 25 July 12pm – 2:40pm session.
Repechages: Wednesday 28 July 11:30am – 2:40pm session
Final: Friday 30 July 11:45am – 1:55pm session.
Women’s Eight
These women created history in 2019 by becoming the first ever to win in this event for New Zealand. The crew is exactly the same to that of their last international race at the 2019 World Championships. With a strong domestic season behind them, they are looking likely to repeat the result from 2019. The Tokyo Olympic Games will be the first Olympics where a coxswain’s gender is able to differ from that of their crew. Come finals time, the women’s eight coxswain, Caleb Shepherd, will be keeping an eye on the crews from Australia, Canada, and the United States.
Race schedule for the Women’s coxed eight at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Sunday 25 July 12pm – 2:40pm session.
Repechage: Wednesday 28 July 11:30am – 2:40pm session
Final: Friday 30 July 11:45am – 1:55pm session.
Women’s Quad Sculls
Current world champion in the double sculls, Olivia Loe, has joined the women’s quad for Tokyo. After finishing fifth at the World Championships in 2019, Georgia Nugent-O’Leary along with Olivia Loe have joined Ruby Tew and Eve Mcfarlane in the quad for Tokyo. The quad that qualified in 2019 was a result of the women’s reserve pair and reserve double coming together. Other crews to watch in this event will be the Netherlands, Poland, and China. With the late crew swap between the women’s double and quadruple sculls it has only been a matter of weeks that this crew has come together but looks to be going well so far. With no international races in this crew combination, this will be an exciting watch in Tokyo.
Race schedule for the Women’s Quadruple Sculls at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Friday 23 July 11:30am – 3:10pm session.
Repechage: Sunday 25 July 12pm – 2:40pm session.
Final: Tuesday 27 July 11:30am – 3pm session.
Men’s Double Sculls
Chris Harris joins up with Jack Lopas in the men’s double for Tokyo. Chris qualified the boat with retired teammate, John Storey, at the 2019 World Championships. Lopas, back from Yale University, has come into the double after winning the men’s premier single sculls event at New Zealand’s penultimate domestic regatta in February. Having not been raced at an international regatta, this double combination should offer some excitement if domestic results are anything to go by. Chris Harris competed in this event at the Rio Olympics and finished in the B final. In this Olympiad, Chris and his former partner, John Storey won a gold and a silver at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships. Jack Lopas now comes in looking to emulate the success of the New Zealand men’s double sculls in London won by Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen.
Race schedule for the Men’s Double Sculls at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Friday 23 July 11:30am – 3:10pm session.
Repechage: Saturday 24 July 11:30am – 3:30pm session.
Semi-final: Monday 26 July 12pm – 2:20pm session.
Final: Wednesday 28 July 11:30 am – 2:40pm session.
Women’s Double Sculls
The Women’s double sculls for the Tokyo Olympics is the combination of Brooke Donoghue and Hannah Osborne. Osborne, has recently come into the double from the women’s quad after some racing over the winter. Donoghue, is current world champion in this boat class after winning at the 2019 World Championships with her former crew mate, Olivia Loe. The new double combination will be one to watch in Tokyo along with those from Romania and the Netherlands who pushed them right to the line in 2019 and will look to do so again. New Zealand has had many world champions in this boat class in recent times but the last Olympic success came from the Evers-Swindell twins in the Athens and Beijing Olympics.
Race schedule for the Women’s Double Sculls at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Friday 23 July 11:30am – 3:10pm session.
Repechage: Saturday 24 July 11:30am – 3:30pm session.
Semi-final: Monday 26 July 12pm – 2:20pm session.
Final: Wednesday 28 July 11:30 am – 2:40pm session.
Men’s Coxless Pair
The men’s pair for the Tokyo Olympics is Stephen Jones and Brooke Robertson. This crew is also the reserve pair for the men’s eight. The pair was qualified by Michael Brake and Tom Murray in 2019, who have now both gone into the eight. Stephen and Brooke have competed in many international races. With double Olympic Champion in this boat class, Hamish Bond training alongside them in the men’s sweep squad, the competition at a domestic level has been there to compare themselves against the best. Big shoes to fill in this boat class with Hamish Bond and Eric Murray winning the pair at the London and Rio Olympics in 2012 and 2016 respectively.
Race schedule for the Men’s Pair at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Saturday 24 July 11:30am – 3:30pm session.
Repechage: Sunday 25 July 12pm – 2:40pm session.
Semi-final: Tuesday 27 July 11:30am – 3pm session.
Final: Thursday 29 July 11:30am – 2:50pm session.
Women’s Coxless Pair
Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast make up the women’s coxless pair. This pair combination were World Champions in 2017 and 2019 and gained silver in 2018. They hold the current world best time in this event which they unofficially bettered in the domestic regattas over the 2020/2021 season. This pair has continued to show amazing form leading into the Tokyo games and is a one of New Zealand’s strongest gold medal hopes. The Canadian and Australian pair have been the closest to Kerri and Grace over this Olympiad, with the Canadian’s winning the 2018 World Championships and the Australian’s claiming silver behind Kerri and Grace at the 2019 World Championships.
Race schedule for the Women’s Pair at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Saturday 24 July 11:30am – 3:30pm session.
Repechage: Sunday 25 July 12pm – 2:40pm session.
Semi-final: Tuesday 27 July 11:30am – 3pm session.
Final: Thursday 29 July 11:30am – 2:50pm session.
Men’s Single Sculls
Jordan Parry will race the single scull at Tokyo. This is the most successful boat class for New Zealand in recent times with Rob Waddell and Mahé Drysdale winning three gold medals and a bronze between them in the last five Olympic Games. Jordan has previously raced the quad sculls at the international level, but this is his first Olympic games. The men’s single is an event that it is difficult to predict, but Norway’s Kjetil Borch, and Germany’s, Oliver Zeidler have been regular names at the top of the field over this Olympiad.
Race schedule for the Men’s Single at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Friday 23 July 11:30am – 3:10pm session.
Repechages: Saturday 24 July 11:30am – 3:30pm session.
Semi-finals E/F: Sunday 25 July 12pm – 2:40pm session.
Quarterfinals: Monday 26 July 12pm – 2:20pm session.
Semi-finals C/D: Tuesday 27 July 11:30am – 3pm session.
Semi-finals A/B: Wednesday 28 July 11:30am – 2:40pm session.
Finals F-D: Thursday 29 July 11:30am – 2:50pm session.
Final: Friday 30 July 11:45am – 1:55pm session.
Women’s Single Sculls
Emma Twigg is in the single scull seat for the Tokyo Olympics. This will be her fourth Olympic games, all of which have been in the single. Emma has made the A final in her last two Olympic games and has finished only just out of the medals on both occasions. Emma won a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships behind Ireland’s Sanita Puspure. This will be a tight race come finals time but definitely one to watch for a real medal opportunity. Emma’s build up in the New Zealand domestic season is one of consistency which will stand her in good stead in Tokyo.
Race schedule for the Men’s Single at Tokyo (NZT):
Heats: Friday 23 July 11:30am – 3:10pm session.
Repechages: Saturday 24 July 11:30am – 3:30pm session.
Semi-finals E/F: Sunday 25 July 12pm – 2:40pm session.
Quarterfinals: Monday 26 July 12pm – 2:20pm session.
Semi-finals C/D: Tuesday 27 July 11:30am – 3pm session.
Semi-finals A/B: Wednesday 28 July 11:30am – 2:40pm session.
Finals F-D: Thursday 29 July 11:30am – 2:50pm session.
Final: Friday 30 July 11:45am – 1:55pm session.
All Races can be watched live on one of Sky Sports twelve Olympic channels.
Some races may be available on TVNZ’s free to air coverage of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
NB – All times displayed on race schedule are in New Zealand time. Tokyo is three hours behind NZT.
We hope you enjoy the racing and watching the NZ rowers in Tokyo!
