Only one rower from the Kiwi Olympic squad that showed so admirably in Rio will be behind an oar next season, according to the announcement of the summer training squad.
The one will be silver medalist Rebecca Scown, how will be participating in her 12th season at the elite level. She is one of three Kiwi women to be able to boast of two Olympic medals. She won silver in Rio in the pairs scull. Her crewmate for that event, Genevieve Behrent, has decided to take next year away from the sport.
New Zealand had three golds in Rio, Mahe Drysdale in the singles’ scull, and Eric Murray and Hamish Bond in the pairs. All three of those are calling time for 2017.
By eschewing taking part in competition next year, Behrent, Drysdale, Murray and Bond are walking, not paddling away, from $235,000 worth of grants from High Performance Sport New Zealand.
Maneuvering and strategy is already underway for Tokyo 2020, where the Kiwis would much love to improve on their fourth in the ladies’ eights from Rio.
Bond and Murray have been pulling together seemingly forever, and have yet to be beaten in 69 attempts over eight seasons, including two Olympic golds and numerous victories in coxed and coxless races.