Canberra Paralympian Kathryn Ross has set a world's best time in her PR2 single scull in Austria as she sets her sights on earning selection for the Tokyo Games.
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The three-time world champion led from start to finish in a dominant return to the international stage on day four of the world rowing championships.
Ross will start from the best lane in Friday's A final after winning the preliminary round in a time of 9.24 minutes, beating Dutch rower Annika van der Meer across the line.
The 38-year-old was shocked at her time and the result.
"It's great to be back racing at a world championships and to have that first hit out," Ross said.
"I wasn't aiming for the world's best time but it's really exciting to have gotten it with this being only the second year of the event running.
"I'm sure the competition will step up again on Friday in the A-Final, I'm looking forward to it."
Meanwhile Australia qualified for six semi-finals on Wednesday, a day after the Australian men's eight crew claimed a final berth in their event at the regatta in Linz.
Hamish Parry and Leon Chambers put in a solid sprint to the line in the lightweight men's double scull quarter-final to hold off a challenge from Switzerland and finish third behind China and Belgium.
"We're a good fit crew, we were just trying to sit in that rhythm like we'd planned, and with 400 metres to go, I saw the other crews started to wind, so we did what we needed to do to stay in the top three," Parry said.
Sarah Pound and Georgia Nesbitt pipped China in a sprint finish to sneak into third place and qualify for the lightweight women's double scull semi-finals.
"If we make the A-Final, we know we've qualified the boat for Tokyo, so we're aiming for a top three finish tomorrow," Nesbitt said.
"If not, we'll need to win the B-Final, but we're going into tomorrow guns blazing for the A-Final."
As well as the global titles on offer, Australia's elite rowers are also hunting Olympic and Paralympic qualification and need to finish in particular rankings to book a spot at next year's Tokyo Games.
Australia's women's pair of Annabelle McIntyre and Jessica Morrison backed up their women's eight heat on Tuesday to win their quarter-final, while the men's pair of Joshua Hicks and Sam Hardy overtook Serbia in the final sprint to claim victory in their quarter-final.
Meanwhile, David Bartholot and Canberra's Caleb Antill finished third behind Great Britain and Switzerland in the men's double scull quarter-final.
Sean Murphy was pipped at the line in the lightweight men's single scull quarter-final by Canada's Aaron Lattimer while Gary O'Donovan of Ireland finished third.
