Taylor, Welch start title defence with big win
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A convincing start for New Zealand rowers Ben Taylor and Oli Welch to start their title defence at the world rowing championships on the Bosbaan in Amsterdam in difficult conditions.
They won their heat in the men's pair by six seconds to advance to the semifinals.
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"Bloody tough and very long," was Taylor’s summary of the race. "Once those gusts hit, it was just about staying together and not trying to go for extra because the speed dropped [if you did]."
The women's pair of Katie Lush and Juliette Lequeux finished fourth in their heat to also reach the semis
The men's double scullers Ben Mason and Finn Hamill lined up in the second of five heats for the Men's Double, one of the biggest fields of the regatta.
They were up against the Romanian crew that won gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Romania led at halfway, just over three seconds up on the New Zealanders.
The two automatic qualifying spots for the quarter-finals were settled at the 1500m, enabling the Romanians and New Zealand to coast home.
