Waddell's row forces best of three

Very little in it between Drysdale and Waddell

After Mahe Drysdale won the first race yesterday by a comfortable one-and-a-half lengths on New Zealand's 2010 World Rowing Championships course, Lake Karapiro, word was out that Drysdale may have the Olympic spot wrapped up. But the 2000 Olympic Champion, Waddell, had different ideas.

Waddell took an early lead and kept a slight edge throughout the race in the cross tail wind conditions with bobbly water and finished about half-a-length ahead.

The duel has captured the heart and interest of the New Zealand public with many of the country's newspapers carrying the race as their front page story while Waddell's win was the opening radio news for much of the day. Rowing New Zealand's communication and media manager Richard Gee has called it the clash of the titans and has helped organise live coverage of the final race at the usually quiet national team trials.

The duo will now return to the water for the third and deciding race tomorrow, Tuesday 4 March at 9.00am New Zealand time. It will be possible to watch it live on the internet on Television New Zealand's website; www.tvnz.co.nz

Race coverage on TVNZ