Rowing: NZ on top of world rowing champs

The New Zealand rowing team reinforced their position as one of the sports pre-eminent nations with a three medal haul on the first day of finals at the world championships today.

Mahe Drysdale capped another memorable day by winning a fourth title in the premier men's single sculls, while the men's pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray powered to gold to be crowned world champions for a second time after their success as part of the men's four in 2007.

The women's pair of Emma Feathery and Rebecca Scown won New Zealand's first medal of the day but expressed disappointment at their bronze, having entered the race as a strong favourite for glory.

The reunited men's double of Nathan Cohen and Matthew Trott and women's single sculler Emma Twigg both narrowly missed out on podium places, finishing fourth, while adaptive rower (for rowers with physical handicaps), Robin Tinga, was fifth in his final.

Drysdale set the record straight after the disappointment of last year's Olympics.

In choppy conditions, Great Britain's Alan Campbell set the early pace before Drysdale almost inevitably rolled over him to charge to the lead at the 1500m mark.

Campbell finished strongly but Drysdale repelled the challenge to cross the line in a new world best time of six minutes 33.35, five one hundredths of a second quicker than he has ever gone before.

"This is definitely the best," Drysdale said of his fourth world title.

"With a few months off (at the start of the year), I didn't know where I was going to stand.

"I still can't quite believe it. This is the first year I've ever gone unbeaten in a season. It's a nice way to start the new Olympic cycle."

The shocking images of Drysdale, visibly ill after his brave bronze medal row at last year's Beijing Games, will not be easily forgotten.

It is a source of motivation for Drysdale, who thrived being back on the podium's top spot.

"It's nice to remember what the winning feeling is like.

"Now I've got that feeling, I want to carry that on for the next three years through to London," he said.

The Czech Republic's Ondrej Synek made up the top three with Norway's Olympic champion Olaf Tufte limping home last, nearly 30 seconds behind Drysdale.

The four have dominated the event over the past four years and Drysdale stressed a number of men can threaten his dream of Olympic gold in 2012.

"Every year I step up, they step up as well.

"Gifu was my biggest (winning) margin, just over a second. Today was just under a second so it's tight racing.

"The world best time has fallen three seconds in the last five years I've been involved so that's the standard."

Like Drysdale, Murray and Bond were expected to medal at these championships and they did not disappoint, dominating their final.

They jumped out to a boat length lead at the 500m mark and were never threatened.

The Great Britain pair of Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge were considered their major rivals but failed to keep up as the kiwi duo sprinted to the finish.

"There were times throughout the season when I thinking, this better be worth it because, man, it sucks right now," Bond said.

"We did some really hard training with Dick (coach Richard Tonks) this year but it's all worth it now.

"It's a weight off my shoulders.

"I've been stressing the last few days. It was a new thing for us going in as favourites."

Bond and Murray now take aim at world domination in the lead up to the London Games.

Rebecca Scown and Emma Feathery expressed their disappointment despite winning bronze in the women's pair at their first attempt.

The United States pair of Zsusanna Francia and Erin Cafaro were crowned world champions with Romania second.

"It's bitter sweet really," Feathery said.

"It's not what we wanted.

"But our first year together has definitely given us a whole lot to go home and work on and there will be plenty of fire in the belly now after that."

Matthew Cohen and Nathan Trott struggled to keep pace with the leaders in the final of the men's double coming home in fourth.

Emma Twigg also finished fourth in the women's single sculls, which was won by Belarusian legend Ekaterina Karsten.

However, Twigg will be greatly encouraged having improved from a ninth place result at last year's Olympics.

Adaptive rower Robin Tinga was fifth in his final, won by Great Britain's Tom Aggar.

Tonight, New Zealand's Duncan Grant chases a third successive lightweight single sculls title, while the lightweight men's double of Storm Uru and Peter Taylor are also in finals action.