Jackie Kiddle (stroke) and Shannon Cox (bow), New Zealand Women’s Lightweight Double Scull at the 2024 World Rowing Cup Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand rowers have won four gold medals at the third World Cup Rowing regatta in Poland.
As a part of their preparation for the Olympics, single sculler Tom Mackintosh, lightweight women's double scullers Shannon Cox and Jackie Kiddle, and the men's and women's four all won their finals.
The men's double and one of the men's pair crews were third.
The men's pair of Phillip Wilson and Daniel Williamson beat the other New Zealand crew of Campbell Crouch and Ben Taylor in what could be seen as a trial as the men's pair nomination, which has yet to be announced for the Olympics.
Mackintosh, who won bronze at last year's world championships, took the lead at the halfway point and was a clear winner from Olympic bronze medalist Damir Martin of Croatia and Sverri Nielsen of Denmark.
"It is a good confidence building exercise, there was good competition with Sverri and Damir so overall for me it was executing my race plan, rowing as well as I could and I came home with a good performance," Mackintosh told World Rowing.
The lightweight double of Cox and Kiddle cruised to a decisive victory, almost five seconds ahead of France.
Kiddle, who is a former world champion, said anytime they were racing was good for them ahead of the Olympics.
"For us every race is a new experience and for us this was very much about gaining experience as a combination so to come away with a win, we're stoked, but it was only part of the plan."
Matt Macdonald (stroke), Tom Murray (3), Logan Ullrich (2) and Oliver Maclean (bow). New Zealand Men’s Coxless Four at the 2024 World Rowing Cup Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The fours went back to back with the women, Phoebe Spoors, Kerri Williams, Davina Waddy and Jackie Gower, storming out from the start and controlling the rest of the race to finish well clear of Australia.
Williams, who won gold in Tokyo in the pair and silver in the eight, was back after taking a year off and said the win for the four was much needed.
"Pretty important, that's our last race before Paris and we're a new combination with not a lot of racing together, so we wanted to put in a good performance before our build in to the Olympics."
Meanwhile the men, Olliver Maclean, Logan Ullrich, Tom Murray and Matt Macdonald, took the lead from Australia at the half way stage and finished three second ahead.
Macdonald, who was a part of the gold medal winning eight in Tokyo, said while he may appear to be the experienced member of the four, they were all learning a lot as a crew.
"It's fun, we've got a good idea of what we can achieve in terms of boat rhythm and boat feel and so we're really just going after that.
"I think if we can boil it down to a feeling like that then if we can execute what we're capable of we'll be happy with the result at the end of the day."
The New Zealand rowers now head to a training camp ahead of the Olympics and will joined by those members of the squad who have been training in New Zealand.