A major step on the road to Beijing for Canada's rowers will take place this weekend in Welland, Ont. Top National Team rowers will compete in small boats (pairs and singles) to test their speed against each other and rowers from across the country.
"This is a showcase for the best rowers in Canada, and a way for coaches to determine who will be in winter training camps that will ultimately lead to the opportunity to row at the upcoming Olympics in Beijing," said Rowing Canada Aviron VP High Performance Phil Monckton. "Racing should be very exciting."
The men's pairs and singles events include members of this year's World Champion gold medal men's eight.
Kyle Hamilton of Richmond, B.C. and Jake Wetzel of Saskatoon, Sask., who is also a silver medallist from the last Summer Olympics in the men's four, will row together in Welland. Andrew Byrnes of Toronto will row with Ben Rutledge of Cranbrook, B.C. Past National Team and Olympic rowers returning after some time away from the international circuit include Dave Calder of Victoria, B.C. rowing in a pair with Andrew Hoskins of Edmonton, Alta.
In the men's singles, Dominic Seiterle of Victoria, B.C., Malcolm Howard, also of Victoria, Chris Jarvis of St. Catharines, Ont., Kevin Light of Sidney, B.C. and others will go head to head to determine Canada's top heavyweight sculler.
In the lightweight men's pairs event, Olympic veterans Jon Beare of Toronto, Ont. and Iain Brambell of Victoria, B.C. will row together against National Team colleagues Mike Lewis of Victoria and Liam Parsons of Thunder Bay, Ont.
The lightweight men's singles will include Tim Colson of London, Ont., Matt Jensen of Innerkip, Ont., Cam Sylvester of Caledon, Ont., and John Sasi of North Delta, B.C.
World bronze medalist in the lightweight women's single Melanie Kok of St. Catharines, Ont. will again row in this event against fellow National Team members Tracy Cameron of Shubenacadie, N.S. and Lindsay Jennerich of Victoria, B.C., among other top lightweight females.
In the women's pairs event, Sarah Bonikowsky of Orangeville, Ont. will row with veteran Buffy Williams of St. Catharines, Ont. Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C. and Jane Rumball of Fredericton, N.B. will again team up - they won this event last year. Katie Reynolds of St. John, N.B. is partnered with Romina Stefancic of Victoria.
Members of the 2007 women's quad - Anna-Marie de Zwager of Victoria, B.C., Krista Guloien of Port Moody, B.C., Janine Hanson of Winnipeg, Man., and Rachelle de Jong of Regina, Sask. will row against each other in the women's singles event at the Nationals.
These and other National Team athletes, including many World and Pan Am medalists, are among the more than 200 senior and junior athletes participating in the National Championships beginning on Nov. 1. Finals will take place on Sunday, Nov. 4. NRC winners will share in $20,000 in prize money.
The Canadian University Rowing Championships are also running this week - Nov. 1 and 2 - with Canada's top university rowers competing in events from singles to eights.
This is only the second year for the NRC and the first time it is held in conjunction with the university championships. All events take place on the South Niagara Rowing Club course in Welland, Ont.
Results will be posted at www.rowingcanada.org