Rowing Canada Aviron congratulates the women's coxless four (1992 Olympics) who will be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in October of this year.
The induction for the 1992 gold medal four - Kirsten Barnes, Brenda Taylor, Jessica Monroe-Gonin and Kay Worthington - will also include original crew member Jennifer Walinga. The five athletes are being inducted as Walinga was forced to withdraw from the competition just days before the race due to injury.
Since Walinga was not in the boat, she did not receive a medal from the International Olympic Committee. Teammate Taylor created a replica of one of her two Olympic golds and presented one of her original medals to Walinga; recognizing the fact that the crew could not have won the medal without her.
The women were coached by Sports Hall of Fame member Al Morrow, who is still a high performance coach with Rowing Canada.
"The team were a very tight unit and the way they handled the injury to Jenny was a testament to this," said Morrow. "I think from a performance perspective, what was really exceptional was that the crew had 24 consecutive wins in international races, including their Olympic gold. This win record is unparalleled."
The same four athletes were also part of the women's eight that won gold in Barcelona. All but one of the four retired right after these Games.
"It's exciting and a thrill to be recognized by the Canadian sport community," said Kirsten Barnes, now a mental performance consultant with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, working with rowing and other sports. "It's always a pleasure to remember that chapter of my life, and now to have the ability to share our accomplishments with the other remarkable athletes and builders at the Sports Hall of Fame induction makes it even more special."
Induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is the highest sporting honour in Canada. Each year, a class of the country's most influential and inspiring athletes and sport builders are inducted. The Class of 2013, made up of nine athletes and two builders, will be officially inducted to the Hall during the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame 2013 Induction Celebrations presented by the Canada Games on October 16, 2013 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, ON.
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