Otago University has won the glamour eight title at an international regatta in China.
The Otago crew beat Trinity College (US), Peking University and Sydney University in the final in Chengdu province yesterday.
Richard Sharp, Alistair Bond, Jamie Orsbourn, Scott Vandenbosch, William Shaw, Campbell Lowe, Matt Adam, Todd Hale and Michael Dessoulavy (cox) trailed Sydney by about half a length for much of the race.
But the Otago crew lifted the tempo with 300m to go, overtook the Australians and won by a length.
"The guys were able to hold it together over the last couple of hundred metres," manager Glen Sinclair told the Otago Daily Times from China.
"It was a fantastic performance."
Sinclair said Otago entered the final at the Sichuan Watersports Centre as the favourite after an impressive row in the heat.
The level of competition at the event was illustrated by the failure of Yale, one of the great rowing colleges, to even make the final.
Sinclair was told 100,000 people watched the rowing final, which ran alongside a dragon boat festival.
The victory in the eight followed Otago University rower Fergus Fauvel's win in the 2km ergometer race on Friday.
The Otago rowers are due home tomorrow.
