By Michelle Pickles
It's the country's biggest rowing regatta, the Maadi Cup, where secondary school crews battle to be the best.
But Christchurch rowers have had a difficult time preparing this year, after the February earthquake ruined venues, and severely interrupting their training.
“After the earthquake we all sort of went home and did our own training for a bit, and then we went down to Twizel, stayed down there for three weeks, it was a long time but it was good for us,” says St Margaret’s College’s Olivia Lissaman.
And it was worth it, after the winning gold with the St Margarets under 18-girls coxed four, Olivia Lissaman went on to take silver in the double scull with partner Alex Hazlett.
“It means a lot like we're not really a sculling school, so we're one of only three sculling boats in our school, so really happy with that,” she says.
These young rowers have dreams of one day competing for New Zealand, and Riordan Morrell from Western Heights High School proved his potential in the in the under-18 boys single scull, winning by more than six seconds.
“It’s pretty huge, a good win, in front of home crowd, all my family’s here, so feels really good,” says Morrell.
And in the under 18 girls single Tessa Young judged her move well.
All the hard work paying off for the future of New Zealand rowing.
3 News