North End sculler Lucy Strack proved a point at Lake Karapiro yesterday - she is the best women's lightweight sculler in the country.
Strack (24) used her intelligence and displayed maturity when she won her fourth premier women's lightweight single sculls title at the New Zealand rowing championships.
There was a crosswind blowing in the last 500m on the course at Lake Karapiro and Strack kept her composure to win the title ahead of two Olympians.
Strack won in a time of 7min 32.56sec from Louise Ayling (Central RPC), 7min 35.88sec, and Julia Edward (Waikato RPC), 7min 41.34sec.
A back injury kept Strack out of the London Olympics in 2012 but she came back into the fold last year.
Strack won her first title in 2010 and had wins in 2011,
2013 and this year to establish herself as the country's best lightweight women's sculler.
''I've had a good season against my competition and my teammates,''Strack told the Otago Daily Times from Lake Karapiro.
''The setback from my back injury has made me so much more hungry. I want to get there and have made changes to my life. I'm looking after my body better and am more aware of what my body is doing. I'm training hard but also smarter.''
There was a tail wind for the first 1400m but a side wind after that, Strack's time was just four seconds short of the world record of 7min 28sec.
Strack has two more finals today - the heavyweight single sculls and the eight.
''I like racing the big girls in the finals,'' Strack said.
''I had my most important race today and I will enjoy going out tomorrow and racing the big girls. I will give it a good crack.''
It was a close race to the 1000m with internationals Strack, Louise Ayling and Julia Edward close together.
Strack moved clear in the next 500m with Ayling giving chase.
''After the 1000m it broke up a bit and there was an extra bit of water around and I had a bit of a lead,'' Strack said. There was a strong side wind blowing in the last 500m and Strack opted for a cautious approach.
''I had to make sure my blade-work was tidy and everything was clean and crisp. I had to keep my stroke long to stay in front,'' Strack said. Strack decided discretion was the best policy and decided not to sprint the final 300m.
It has been a good first two days of finals by Otago rowers who have won 11 medals - four gold, five silver and two bronze.
Hamish Bond (North End) won his 17th red coat in the men's premier pair with James Lassche in a time of 6min 12.42sec.
Central RPC was eight seconds back in 6min 20.72sec and Waikato RPC third in 6min 24.52sec.
It was a milestone for Bond, who won his seventh successive premier pairs title.
Fiona Bourke (Otago University) won a gold medal in the Southern RPC women's premier double sculls with Lucy Spoors in a time of 7min 3.32sec.
Waikato RPC was runner-up in 7min 06.20sec and Central RPC third in 7min 17.93sec.
Alistair Bond (Otago University) won a silver medal in the premier lightweight singles sculls in a time of 6min 52.40sec. The race was won by Olympian Peter Taylor (Auckland RPC) in 6min 47.21sec.
Jack O'Leary (Otago) was second in the men's senior single sculls in 7min 28.61sec. The race was won by Luke Watts (Aramoho) in 7min 24.49sec. Mark Alm (Otago) was sixth in 7min 44.37sec. O'Leary won the men's under-20 B final in 7min 7.89sec. Anna O'Leary and Emma Winders won silver in the women's club double sculls in 7min 15.95sec. Anna Watson-Taylor and Nicola Shanks (Otago University) finished sixth in 7min 30.92sec.
Johannah Kearney (Oamaru) won a silver medal in the women's under 22 pair with Southern RPC team mate Kristen Froude in 7min 17.25sec.
Her second silver medal came in the Southern RPC women's premier four in 6min 52.03sec.
Two crews won their heats to reach today's final of the women's under 19 double sculls.
Emma Winders and Anna O'Leary won their heat in 8min 4.16sec and Anna Watson-Taylor and Nicola Shanks the other heat in 8min 1.48sec.
