Rowers add to NZ’s medal tally

Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis made a golden start yesterday.

And two other boats finished off the full complement of medals in what was a sparkling night for New Zealand rowing at the Paris Olympics.

New Zealand won a gold, silver and bronze in the doubles and fours on day eight of the Games yesterday.

Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors celebrate winning gold in the double sculls at Vaires-Sur-Marne...
Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors celebrate winning gold in the double sculls at Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. Photo: Getty Images
Spoors and Francis won gold in the women’s double sculls in 6min 50.45sec, holding off defending champions Anacuta Bodnar and Simona Radis, of Romania, by 00.24sec in a sprint finish.

Sitting third at the 1000m mark, Spoors and Francis - who became the first crew of mothers to win an Olympic rowing medal - showed their strength in the final half to push ahead.

Through the tears as they stood on the podium, pride beamed from Spoors and Francis, who had not won a race since becoming mothers until the Olympics.

"I can’t believe it — honestly I’m in shock," Spoors told Sky Sport.

"Since we’ve had the kids, we haven’t won a race and we’ve come here and won the heat, won the semi and now this.

"I think from the start we were just so brave. We wanted to be brave and just put it all out there and I felt so brave with Brooke through the middle."

Tom Murray, Matt Macdonald - who were part of the men’s eight that won gold in Tokyo - Ollie Maclean and Logan Ullrich secured silver in the men’s coxless four.

They finished in 5min 49.88sec behind the US, who won gold in 5min 49.03sec.

The men’s coxless four of (from left) Ollie MacLean, Logan Ullrich, Tomo Murray and Matta...
The men’s coxless four of (from left) Ollie MacLean, Logan Ullrich, Tomo Murray and Matta MacDonald celebrate with their silver medals. Photo: Getty Images
Jackie Gowler, Kerri Williams, Davina Waddy and Phoebe Spoors powered home to win bronze in the women’s coxless four in 6min 29.08sec.

The Netherlands won gold, finishing just 00.28sec ahead of Great Britain.

Robbie Manson and Jordan Parry finished sixth in the men’s double sculls, clocking in at 6min 21.44sec.

Bronze medal winners (from left) Jackie Gowler, Phoebe Spoors, Davina Waddy and Kerri Williams...
Bronze medal winners (from left) Jackie Gowler, Phoebe Spoors, Davina Waddy and Kerri Williams pose on the podium. Photo: Getty Images
They add to New Zealand’s medal tally, which includes the Black Ferns Sevens gold and Hayden Wilde’s silver in the triathlon.

Earlier in the semifinals, Emma Twigg and Tom Mackintosh qualified for the women’s and men’s single sculls finals.

kayla.hodge@odt.co.nz