University of Otago student Johannah Kearney has reached the podium at a world championship for the first time.
The Oamaru rower was a key member of the New Zealand women's four that won a bronze medal at the world under-23 championships in Austria at the weekend.
Kearney, Kristen Froude, Abbey Green and Kelsi Walters finished third behind Australia and Russia.
It was the second time Kearney had competed at a world championship regatta. She made her debut last year in the coxless four at the world junior championships in Bulgaria.
She learnt a lot from that experience and put it to good use with a dominant performance at the national championships at Lake Ruataniwha when she won three gold medals and a bronze. Kearney was a member of the Southern RPC crews that won gold medals in the women's under-22 eight, the under-20 coxless four and the under-20 pair. The bronze medal was won in the women's premier four.
The Kearneys live on a mixed farm close to Oamaru and Johannah began rowing with twin sister Caitlin when she was a pupil at St Kevin's College.
She made rapid progress under the direction of coach Stewart Mitchell at the Oamaru Rowing Club.
It was a successful world championships for the New Zealand under-23 team, with all seven crews making the A finals. The team collected five medals - one gold, two silver and two bronze.
The gold medal was won by the men's eight, and the silver medals by the men's coxed four and the men's quadruple sculls.
The other bronze medal was won by the women's double sculls of Sophie Mackenzie and Lisa Owen.
The win in the men's eight was a significant sign for the future of New Zealand rowing, with its aim to have all 14 boat types at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016.
Memories are still fresh of the glory days of the Munich Olympic Games in 1972 when the men's eight won the gold medal in the sport's glamour event.
