Canada's top heavyweight women rowers will compete at the Canadian National Rowing Trials (Speed Orders) this weekend, May 30 to June 1, 2003, on London's Fanshawe Lake.
"In this pre-Olympic year, we are now down to the most serious and committed athletes," said head women's coach Al Morrow. "About half of the entries will eventually end up representing Canada at the Olympics next year, so it's very intense and high-end competition."
Nine pairs (sweep rowers) and 10 singles (scullers) will race to be part of the 2003 National Rowing Team. The first major event in the international schedule for the Canadian Team is the Henley Royal in Great Britain in early July, and then select crews will be going to the FISA World Cup event in Lucerne, Switzerland, July 11 to 13 (see below for a full list of 2003 events).
Athletes slated to participate this weekend include Buffy Williams of St. Catharines, Ont. (St. Catharines Rowing Club), 2000 Olympic bronze medallist, who will be rowing in a pair with Roslyn McLeod of Burlington, Ont. (Brock University Rowing), a World silver medallist in the women’s four. Also racing in the pair are Jacqui Cook of Burlington, Ont. (Brock University Rowing) and Karen Clark of Delta, B.C. (Victoria City Rowing Club), current World silver medallists in the women’s pair, among other World medallists and 2004 Olympic hopefuls from across the country (full lists will sent with results this weekend). Scullers include 2002 Commonwealth Regatta gold medallist Jane Rumball of Fredericton, N.B. (Fredericton Rowing Club).
Racing begins at 7 a.m. each morning at the Doug Wells rowing centre. Along with coach Morrow, Canadian National Team Head coach Brian Richardson, Senior A assistant coach Rick Crawley and PanAm coach Laryssa Biesenthal, among others, will be on hand to oversee the trials.
Trials for the men's heavyweight, men's and women's lightweight, and PanAm and Under-23 heavyweight women will be held June 13 to 15. The men and lightweights will race in Victoria, while the heavyweight women will again compete in London. Junior team trials are held separately.