Sport

Five gold medals for NZ rowers in France

05:57 am on 23 June 2014

New Zealand rowers have picked up five gold medals and one bronze medal at the second world cup regatta of the year in France.

The women's lightweight single, women's and men's single scull, men's pair and men's lightweight four won gold, and the women's quad picked up bronze.

New Zealand had seven crews featured in the A finals, which was a pleasing start to the 2014 international campaign.

The men's pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray was a formidable force yet again, taking the lead after 500 metres, finishing 11 seconds ahead of Germany with Great Britain third.

Bond and Murray have remained unbeaten in the men's pair since being selected into the crew in 2009.

The men's lightweight four edged out favourites Denmark.

Men's single sculls five time world and current Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale was slow out the blocks, but edged through the field and won just from Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic.

Emma Twigg took the lead in the women's singles sculls at the halfway point and pulled awy in the sprint home.

The New Zealand crew of Erin-Monique O'Brien, Lucy Spoors, Georgia Perry and Sarah Gray held third throughout their women's quad.

The third world cup regata is in Switzerland next month with the world champs in Amsterdam in August.