SYDNEY (AP) — London Olympics champion Helen Glover of Britain and her new crewmate Polly Swann powered to an easy victory Sunday in the women’s pair at the opening World Rowing Cup of the season.
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Glover and Swann led by two-lengths at the halfway mark and won in 7 minutes, 03.55 seconds — 4 seconds ahead of the second-place American crew of London eight gold medalists Meghan Musnicki and Caroline Lind, with Australia third.
The British duo received good-luck emails before the race from Glover’s Olympic gold partner Heather Stanning.
“I had big shoes to fill but she (Glover) hasn’t made me feel under pressure,” said Swann. “It’s a new boat, a new crew and a new season.”
Musnicki and Lind won gold at London in the women’s eight before switching to the pair.
The rebuilding American crew Musnicki and Lind left behind finished second to Australia in the eight final, losing to the host side by half a boat length despite coming on strong near the end. Canada, with four members of its silver medal-winning crew from London, was third.
Britain’s men’s eight team, which took Olympic bronze at London last year, won Sunday’s final, leaving the Americans in second, two seconds behind. Australia edged New Zealand for third place by .45 seconds.
Australia’s crew of Sarah Perkins, Jessica Hall, Madeleine Edmunds and Olympia Aldersey won the women’s quadruple sculls, with the United States second and New Zealand third.
“The first part of our race we stuck to our guns and stayed confident,” Aldersey said. “I looked around at the 750-meter mark and realized that we were in front so we just had to work hard and stay in the rhythm.”
France’s Olympic silver medalists Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette won the men’s pair while the New Zealand combination of Michael Arms and Robert Manson dominated from start to finish to win the men’s double sculls.
Chardin said he had plans later Sunday to be on the water, but not anywhere near a rowing basin.
“This afternoon we are going longboard surfing in Bondi,” Chardin said of the iconic Sydney beach.
Britain’s Adam Freeman-Pask and Richard Chambers won gold in the lightweight men’s double sculls ahead of China’s Li Hui and Dong Tianfeng. Last year’s Olympic hosts also won the men’s quadruple sculls ahead of New Zealand and Australia.
Kim Crow of Australia won the women’s single sculls and Georgi Bozhilov of Bulgaria the men’s race in the same category.
On Saturday, Canada’s Jaclyn Halko and New Zealander Duncan Grant won the lightweight single sculls finals at Penrith west of Sydney, site of the 2000 Olympic competition.
