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Rower Eric Murray ready for family dash


Eric Murray didn't have to sprint on Sunday, but may soon need to make a flying visit.
Murray and New Zealand men's pair crewmate Hamish Bond produced another crushingly dominant World Cup rowing win in Lucerne at the weekend that ensured they will be hot favourites to win a third consecutive world championship title later this season.
However, Murray is planning a quick break from training shortly with wife Jackie due to give birth to their first child later this month.
"I'm just waiting for the phone call," Murray told the Waikato Times.
The 29-year-old expressed some surprise at the margin of victory at Lucerne, hammering arch-rivals Great Britain by over six seconds after seeing off an early challenge from Canada.
"We were expecting a tough race. On the first day in the heats the Canadians gave us a bit of a run before the 1000 metre mark and then they went head-to-head with Great Britain to the 1500 in the semis and managed to stay close so we thought we were in for a fight."
Instead, the Kiwis easily cleared out on the quick-starting Canadian duo of Scott Calder and Scott Franson  who are resuming a partnership that saw them win silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics  and were never threatened by the GB pair of Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge.
"We held our pace and didn't have to sprint for the line so we've got that card up our sleeve too," Murray said.
"We had to use it last year at the world champs so it's good to know there's two or three seconds up our sleeve."
Murray and Bond have been unbeaten in the boat since teaming up at the start of the 2009 season and faced their toughest challenge from the Brits at last year's world champs at Lake Karapiro, winning by over six seconds.
Murray felt that while there was still room for improvement for the Kiwis, he was also expecting a greater challenge at the world champs starting in Bled, Slovenia, at the end of August.
"I have no doubt it's going to close up by the world champs  everyone peaks for the worlds."
The Brits have yet to beat the Kiwis in 13 races and there is constant talk which grows louder after each defeat that Great Britain can't afford to keep their best two stroke oarsmen in a boat that appears destined for silver. However, it seems Reed and Triggs Hodge will stay together at least until the world champs.
"Very impressive from those guys, all credit due," said Triggs Hodge after the race. "We need to get in front of the Kiwis, who are setting a new standard."
Reed tweeted: "Initial thoughts: the Kiwis took rowing to a new level. Disappointed but not dead. No answer for that today. Didn't expect such a shoeing. We'll find the answers though."
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The New Zealand team that contested the Hamburg and Lucerne World Cup regattas now head to Hazelwinkel in Belgium for a five-week training camp.
The group of crews that contested just the Lucerne event will travel to Gravelines in France, where the elite squad spent a month preparing for Lucerne.
- Waikato Times

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