Double sculls through to final

ond and third placed scullers were out of the TV picture, allowing her to ease down in the latter stages to win in a time of 7:54:96.

Twigg is seeking her first Olympic

medal at her fourth Games, after agonising fourth-place finishes in London in 2012 and Rio four years later, which initially prompted her retirement.

All of her expected medal rivals also advanced impressively, with the Russian Olympic Committee’s Hanna Prakatsen recording the fastest quarterfinal time of 7:49.64, while 2018 and 2019 world champion Sanita Puspure, of Ireland, won her quarterfinal in 7:58.30.

However, New Zealand’s run of medals in the men’s single scull is over after Jordan Parry failed to advance to the semifinals.

Parry, who won the New Zealand berth in the boat ahead of two-time defending champion and three-time medallist Mahe Drysdale, was fourth in his quarterfinal in 7:18.48 and heads now to the C/D semifinals.

The NZ women’s quad of Georgia Nugent-O’Leary, Ruby Tew, Eve Macfarlane and Olivia Loe missed a place in the A final by a boat length as they finished third in their repechage.