Former Olympic champion Rob Waddell's comeback remained on track today after a two length victory over World Champion Mahe Drysdale in the Premier Single Sculls race today at Lake Karapiro's KRI 1 regatta.

Thousands turned out at the lake to watch the much-hyped first encounter between the two giants of the sport. In an exciting race, first Eric Murray - part of the engine room of New Zealand's World Champion Coxless Four - took the lead, before young gun Nathan Cohen took the lead and established clear water ahead of Waddell and Drysdale.

Past half way and Waddell and Drysdale began to claw back the deficit to Cohen. With 500 metres to go, Waddell unleashed a fearsome sprint and moved through Cohen and away from Drysdale.

In favourable light tailwind conditions, Waddell clocked 6 minutes 39.8 seconds - just three seconds off Drysdale's World Best time for the 2,000 metres distance.

Caroline Evers-Swindell won a very close Women's race - just pipping sister Georgina and Under 23 World Champion Emma Twigg by half a second. Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater swapped places with Twaddle taking the stroke seat and looked classy on their way to a win in the Coxless Pairs race, as did fellow former World Champions Juliette Haigh and Nicky Coles.

1st Rob Waddell 6:38:98
2nd Mahe Drysdale 6:43:05
3rd Nathan Cohen 6:45:85
4th Storm Uru 6:54:69
5th Eric Murray 7:00:02
6th Matthew Trott 7:04:47