Croatian brothers Martin and Valent Sinković marked their first international men’s pair race by winning their heat at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne ©FISA

Croatian brothers Martin and Valent Sinković marked their first international men’s pair race by winning their heat at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne.

The Sinković siblings are the reigning world and Olympic champions in the men’s double sculls but have changed boat class to the men’s pair for 2017.

Showing that the change was not a problem, they dominated heat two from start to finish on their way to posting the fastest qualifying time of 6 min 26.810sec on the famous Rotsee regatta course.

Italy’s Matteo Lodo and Giuseppe Vicino joined them in booking a semi-final place after finishing runners-up in 6:31.130.

Heat one was won by The Netherlands' Dirk Uittenbogaard and Bo Wullings with a time 6:33.710, while top seeds Jakub Podrazil and Lukas Helesic of Czech Republic came second in 6:35.550.

Also through to the semi-finals are New Zealand’s James Hunter and Thomas Murray, who led heat three from start to finish.

France’s Valentin and Theophile Onfroy were the runners-up in 6:34.390.

In the women’s pair, New Zealand’s Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler were the fastest direct qualifiers for the final with a time of 7:05.680.

They won heat one ahead of the United States’ Megan Kalmoe and Tracy Eisser, who finished in 7:08.170 to secure their place in the final.

Heat two saw Denmark’s Hedvig Rasmussen and Christina Johansen clock a winning time of 7:12.390, beating runners-up Holly Norton and Karen Bennett of Great Britain by a margin of 3.93.

New Zealand's Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler won their women's pair heat ©Getty Images
New Zealand's Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler won their women's pair heat ©Getty Images

Elsewhere today, Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Ondrej Synek of Czech Republic recorded the fastest qualifying time in the men’s singles sculls.

Synek finished heat two in 7:01.960, 1.52 quicker than Russia’s Vladislav Ryabcev.

Also progressing to the quarter-finals from the heat were Israel’s Dani Fridman in 7:04.180 and Finland’s Joel Naukkarinen in 7:04.920.

In the women’s double sculls, France’s Helene Lefebvre and Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino were today’s most impressive performers with a time of 6:48.980 in heat three. 

American pair Meghan O’Leary and Ellen Tomek finished second in 6:49.940 and like their French rivals are through to the semi-finals.

Australia's Olympia Aldersey and Madeline Edmunds won heat one in 6:54.650, while New Zealand’s Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe led heat two from start to finish to triumph in 6:52.060. 

Action in Lucerne is due to continue tomorrow.