A ?Maadi? fine effort sees Petone rower take gold
By Tim O?Connell
Despite being the sole representative for her school, Camilla Anderson showed her class credentials in winning at the recent Maadi Cup regatta on Lake Karapiro. The Hutt Valley High School student continued on her fine form in the 2008/2009 rowing season, by winning gold in the girls under 18 single sculls event at the national secondary schools event late last month. Untroubled in both her heat and semi final, Anderson entered the final on March 30 in great form, having clocked some competitive times during the week long regatta. Her time of 8 minutes 13 seconds in the semi final was slightly faster than the next quickest qualifier, tentatively placing her as a favourite for the singles title. With conditions at Lake Karapiro renowned for their ability to change dramatically in a short space of time, the strong field that lined up promised an exciting battle between the cream of New Zealand?s future rowing talent. However, Anderson appeared to have total control throughout the race, eventually drawing away from her nearest opponent to win by five seconds from Tauranga Girls College?s Zoe Stevenson in 8:32. Anderson?s win capped off an already spectacular season of racing, having already achieved medal winning results in one, two and four person crews. The win was also another triumph for Coach Greg Stothers, who has another national title-winner to add to his list of achievements with the Korokoro-based club.
