Twigg set to compete in record fifth Olympics

Celebrating their selection for the Paris Olympics at an announcement at Karapiro yesterday are (from left) the women’s coxless pair Alana Sherman and Kate Haines, women’s single sculler Emma Twigg and women's double scullers Lucy Spores and Brooke Francis. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

An 18-strong team, including nine athletes who have won world championship or Olympic medals, has been named to represent New Zealand at the Paris Olympics next month.

Tokyo Olympic champion Emma Twigg is the most experienced team member and will become the first New Zealand rower to compete in five Olympics.

The 37-year-old said it had been a huge journey since she competed as a 21-year-old in the women's single sculls at the Beijing Games in 2008.

The women's four of Kerri Williams, her sister, Jackie Gowler, Davina Waddy and Phoebe Spoors also has vast experience.

Williams is a double Olympic medallist, winning gold in the pair and silver in the eight at the Tokyo Olympics.

Gowler was also in the eight in Tokyo and won a world championship in the boat in 2019. Phoebe Spoors and Waddy were travelling reserves in Tokyo.

Phoebe’s sister, Lucy Spoors, has been named in the double sculls with Brooke Francis.

Lucy was in eight in the Tokyo, while Francis claimed silver in the women's double. Both rowers took time out after Tokyo to start families and returned to international competition last year.

Jackie Kiddle and Shannon Cox have been named in the lightweight double sculls. Kiddle was a world champion in the event in 2019 but was unable to compete at what would have been her first Olympics in Tokyo after the late withdrawal o fpartner Zoe McBride.

Cox made her international debut just a year ago at the world championships in Serbia, where she and Kiddle finished fifth. Last month they won silver at the World Cup II regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Olympic newcomers Alana Sherman and Kate Haines have been confirmed in the women's pair after qualifying the boat for Paris at the recent final Olympic qualifying regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland last month.

The men's squad includes Tokyo gold medallists Matt Macdonald and Tom Murray, who will row the four with Ollie Maclean and Logan Ullrich.

Maclean was a reserve in Tokyo, while Ullrich was set to compete in his first Olympics.

Tom Mackintosh will compete in the single sculls. He won a bronze medal at the world championships last year, in his first season competing in the boat, and was in the eight which won gold in Tokyo.

Two top-class single scullers have been named in the men's double sculls. Robbie Manson will compete in his third Olympics, and still holds the world's best time in the single sculls. He is joined by Jordan Parry who was fourth in the event at the world championships in 2022.

New Zealand has also qualified a boat for the men's pair at Paris, the crew to be selected following the world cup III event in Poland this month.