In the only Canadian entry in the second World Cup of the season, Malcolm Howard of Victoria, B.C. was third in this afternoon's men's single quarter final race to advance to the semi-finals.
Howard's time was 6:59.56. Czech rower and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Ondrej Synek won this race in 6:56.98, and Norway's Olaf Tufte - the Olympic men's single gold medalist - was second in 6:58.05. The top three of each of the quarter finals advanced to tomorrow's semis.
"I'm not exactly happy with today, but I got the job done," said Howard, who has been training in Norway since his first World Cup appearance last month in Slovenia.
Earlier today, Howard was third in a heat in 7:02.70, which just qualified him for the quarter final.
"Obviously the heat didn't go according to plan," he said after both races today, "but I did make a step forward in the quarter final. I'm learning a lot from each race and I feel I still haven't had my top race."
Howard was in the Canadian Olympic men's eight that won gold in 2008, but is now concentrating on the men's single event. Tomorrow he again faces Synek, along with Falko Nolte of Germany, Alan Campbell of Great Britain, Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania, and Liang Zhang of China in the semi-final race on the Olympic regatta course in Munich.
The men's single has the biggest entry of any event at this regatta, with a total of 29. Missing is reigning World Champion, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, who is in Munich training but decided to step back from racing as he continues to heal a back injury.