Live: Rangiora brings home the bronze

Rangiora High U18 girls doubles crew came third in a hard fought final today.

Alice Pallister and Rose McEwan put all they had into the race as their families and supporters cheered them on.

Pallister’s mother Suzanne Entwisle nervously watched the big screen by the Don Rowland Centre, as the other crews pulled ahead.

“I felt like vomiting, it was so nerve wracking.” Entwisle said.

Pallister said  everybody had very fast starts, and just “shot out” over the line, but they couldn’t think of that, they had to just keep rowing.

With the sun shining in their eyes the girls were never sure of exactly where the other crews were. Just that they were close.

Coach Armin Svoboda said it was only in the last 250 metres the crews separated out. It was neck and neck between the top three crews until then.

The girls finished with a time of 7:29.56, the fastest they’ve ever gone.

But the Wanganui High and St Peter’s crews were just that little bit faster, getting the gold and silver respectively.

“They rowed to their potential, above it even…what more could I ask for,” Svoboda said.