Waddell wins first big clash

It was just the sort of clash that has promoters drooling and the return of 2000 Olympic Games single sculls champion Rob Waddell to take on the 2007 world champion Mahe Drysdale drew thousands to Lake Karapiro to watch their race on Sunday.

Waddell forsook his rowing career to take part in two America's Cup regattas with Team New Zealand.

However, he gave a demonstration of his readiness for competition by producing an unofficial world record for a 5km event.

In Sunday's race, world champion coxless four rower Eric Murray set the early pace and then Nathan Cohen took over.

But at halfway Waddell and Drysdale began to move and it was with 500m remaining that Waddell unleashed a spectacular burst to past Cohen and to leave Drysdale in his wake.

Waddell recorded 6m 39.8s, only three seconds off Drysdale's world best time for the 2000m.

In the women's singles sculls, Caroline Evers-Swindell beat her sister Georgina with world Under-23 champion Emma Twigg half a second behind.