Rowing Canada Aviron is gearing up for an exciting international racing season after conducting its first stage of selection this week for its senior National Team.
On-water trials were held in small boats - men's and women's pairs, men's and women's single, as well as lightweight men's pair and lightweight women's single. Many of the top performers will make up the various crews that will compete in the 2011 World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland, in July (team to be announced in June) and then at the World Championships in Bled, Slovenia, late in August (team to be announced in early August). The 2011 Worlds will also serve as the key Olympic qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
"It has been a long winter of training and now the athletes are ready to prove themselves as selection begins in earnest in each of our centres," said RCA High Performance Director, Peter Cookson. "This is the important first step toward creating our Lucerne World Cup Team."
On Elk Lake in Victoria, Olympic silver medalists and national team veterans David Calder of Victoria, B.C., and Scott Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C. reunited to win the men's pair nicely in 06:33.98. The next pair - Will Crothers of Kingston, Ont. and Gabe Bergen of 100 Mile House, B.C. - clocked in at 6:42.08, followed by Olympic gold medalist (men's eight) Kevin Light of Victoria rowing with relative newcomer Jerry Brown, also of Victoria, in 06:42.53.
On the women's side, the top pair was Ashley Brzozowicz of London, Ont. with Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C. - both 2008 Olympians - in 7:14.43; with up-and-comers Cristy Nurse of Georgetown, Ont., and Carolyn Ganes of Saskatoon, Sask. in second at 7:15.59. Larissa Lagzdins of Burlington, Ont., and Sarah Bonikowsky of Orangeville, Ont., were the third pair in 7:15.85.
The lightweight women's single featured a strong performance by Victoria's Lindsay Jennerich in 7:51.63. Jennerich is the 2010 World Champion in the lightweight women's double with partner Olympic bronze medalist Tracy Cameron, who did not row this past week due to illness. At the trial, Jennerich was followed by Sheryl Preston of North Delta, B.C. and Patricia Obee of Victoria.
No surprise in the men's single, with 2008 Olympic gold medalist (men's eight) Malcolm Howard of Victoria crossing the line in the fastest time of 06:58.82. Howard has focused his efforts on the single since Beijing, and hopes to continue to represent Canada in this boat in 2012.
Olympic bronze medalist Mike Lewis of Victoria and 2010 World bronze medalist Rares Crisan of Mississauga, Ont., teamed up to win the lightweight men's pair trial in 6:52.29. John Sasi of North Delta, B.C., and Tim Myers of Penticton, B.C. were next in this boat category in 6:55.58. The third pair was Terry McKall of Edmonton, AB, and Zhongming Huang of Victoria in 07:04.08. These are the rowers that could potentially be part of a lightweight men's four, which is the Olympic boat class for lightweight male sweep rowers.
In the women's single category, Emily Cameron of Summerside, PEI, had the top time in 7:51.98. Peggy Hyslop of Kamloops, B.C. and Elizabeth McCord of Toronto were second and third respectively in the women's sculling group.
Selection for crews travelling to Europe, including the lightweight male scullers, is ongoing and will be announced in June. Trials were conducted in Victoria, B.C. (men) and London, Ont. (women).
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