Canadian Carli Halpenny of Victoria, B.C. won the open women's event today at the 2002 AXA PPP Healthcare British Indoor Rowing Championship at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.
The 23-year-old Halpenny, who is currently training at Rowing Canada's London Training Centre, is a former basketball player and is relatively new to the Canadian rowing scene, but is known for her strength on the ergometer (or indoor rowing machine). Halpenny was part of the women's four that recently won the Head of the Charles regatta in Boston, but otherwise she has no international rowing experience.
Halpenny finished in 6:41.3, three seconds ahead of Sarah Lauritzen of Denmark, who was second in 6:44.6. Also competing for Canada, Romina Stefanic of Victoria finished fifth in the same event in 6:54.3 in a field of 59 competitors.
Athletes from 20 countries participated in the British event. Rowers compete in a 2000-metre distance race on the Concept 2 Indoor Rower. The indoor rowing machine or "erg" is commonly used by National Teams in training and team-testing programs.
The only other Canadian National Team rower at the British Indoors is Jeff Bujas of St. Catharines, Ont., who finished 15th in the lightweight men's open event out of 63 competitors. His time was 6:28.2. U.S. National Team rower Steve Warner won the lightweight event in 6:10.0, followed by fellow American Gabe Winkler in 6:11.9 and world record (6:03.2) holder Eskild Ebbesen of Denmark in third in 6:13.0.
In the men's junior lightweight category, Ryan Morris of Hanlan in Toronto was second in 6:38.3.
Full results can be found at http://www.concept2.co.uk/birc/
Canada will hold its annual Indoor Championships in Toronto and Victoria in early 2003.