WOMEN’S PAIRS
W2-
Words: Rachel Quarrell / Photography: Steve McArthur
Of all the sewnon gold medal chances at this year's Games, that of Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast had to be one of the most certain.
Though unable to race anyone else for two years, the talented New Zealanders came to the table as owners of the world's best time, the 2017 and 2019 champions (we don't mention 2018 when the Canadians briefly got the better of them) and winners of all but four of their races in a pair together. Lurking to try and trip them up were the aforementioned Canadians, the Russian winners of the qualifying regatta, a super-speedy Greek duo, European bronze medallists Spain, and a familiar British duo, the 2013 world champions Polly Swann and Helen Glover, returning from medical duty and motherhood respectively. Making it harder for themselves the Kiwis were doubling up into the engine room of their country's eight, having discovered during 2019 that it went better with them in, but that didn't stop them setting a new world best time in their own event during the delayed Wednesday semi-finals.