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Otago University rules the water again.
The Otago men’s eight have made a splash at the revived world universities regatta in China.
They charged down the course in Shangyu to post a time of 2min 28.53sec in the final yesterday.
That was over 2sec clear of the second-placed University of Sydney.
Oxford University was third and the University of Melbourne fourth.
Four Chinese crews — Sun-Yat-Sen University, Xian Jiaoting University, Shanghai Ocean University and Shanghai Tongji University — also competed in the regatta.
In the morning heats, Otago lost to Sydney by 1.3sec after a slow start but still easily qualified for the final.
Oxford won the other heat with Melbourne placing second.
Otago University Rowing Club manager Glen Sinclair said a thunderstorm threatened the afternoon finals and racing had to be delayed by an hour.
"The Otago team changed the set-up of their oars to make them heavier and to try to get out of the start faster," Sinclair said.
"Otago dominated the first 100m, leaving all crews behind by moving out to a four-seat lead, and managed to extend this lead out to a full length by the finish line.
"Oxford threatened Sydney’s second place through the middle of the race but couldn’t put in the final burst to overtake them."
The Otago crew was stroked by first-year student Ted Mayne.
Other crew members were Toby Robinson, Germain Hellriegel White, Tom Tothill, Sam Barnett, Fynn Allison, Teddy George, Henry Clatworthy and coxswain Kaelin Reinsfield-Bree.
It was the first time the regatta had been held since 2019.