Canada's top heavyweight men and lightweight rowers will take to the water June 13 to 15 on Victoria's Elk Lake to make their first move toward the Olympic team.
The Canadian Rowing Trials, also known as Speed Orders, are the first step to making this year's squad, which has the opportunity to qualify crews for the 2004 Athens Olympics later this year at the World Championships.
"2003 is critical because it's the first round of qualifying for the Olympics. We want to qualify in Milan (at the World Championships), so we are able to focus on training and not worrying about making it through in the next round," explains Canadian National Team head coach Brian Richardson.
"The number and quality of entries in next weekend's regatta is very high - it's better than I had hoped for," said Richardson.
Approximately 100 rowers will try out in Victoria, and additional heavyweight women will compete in London, Ontario, for certain crews. Rowers race in small boats (pairs and singles) to show their speed and skill in the hopes that they will be selected to represent Canada at various international regattas, including the World Cup, Pan Am Games and World Championships in Milan, this summer.
Athletes featured at the Victoria regatta include seven of the members of the 2002 World Championship men's eight – Kevin Light of Sidney, B.C., Andrew Hoskins of Edmonton, Alta. who will be rowing in a pair with fellow gold medallist Ben Rutledge of Cranbrook, B.C., Adam Kreek of London, Ont. rowing with Jeff Powell of Winnipeg, Man., and Joe Stankevicius of Dundas, Ont. with Kyle Hamilton of Richmond, B.C. Last year, the combination of Kreek and Powell won the trials regatta in this men’s pairs event, which has the most entries out of all the categories this year (18 pairs as of June 7).
In the lightweight men's pairs event, veteran athlete and 1996 Olympic silver medallist, Gavin Hassett, will join World medallists such as Iain Brambell of Brentwood Bay, B.C., Jon Mandick of Edmonton, Alta. and Doug Vandor of Dewittville, Que. Hassett and Mandick will row in a pair and try again to win this event as they did in 2002.
In the lightweight women’s single, top rowers include former Olympian Fiona Milne of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., Gen Meredith of Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., Shona McLaren of Victoria, B.C. , and 2002 Under-23 women’s double champions Lysanne Lavigne of Boucherville, Que. and Lindsay Jennerich of Victoria, B.C.
Men’s lightweight single includes Matt McCarthy of Peterborough, Ont. and Dave Stephens of Belleville, Ont., another 2002 Under-23 champion.
In the men’s single event, Darren Barber, an Olympic gold medallist from 1992, will trial after a long absence from the national scene, along with other former National athletes Lawrence Nwaesei of Toronto, Ont. and Lawrence Varga of Nanoose Bay, B.C.
“The program has more depth than ever before, and it's a long-term situation,” said Richardson, who also coached the successful Canadian team at the Atlanta Olympics. “The quality of coaching is very high - led by Mike Spracklen, Al Morrow and Terry Paul - and this has helped attract and retain many top and developing athletes.”
THE FACTS
· Canadian National Team Trials (Speed Orders)
· Determines athletes that will enter the National Team training camp
· Elk Lake, Victoria, B.C.
· June 13 Heats: 8:00 a.m.-approx. 11:00 a.m. Reps: 4:30 p.m.-approx. 6:00 p.m.
· June 14 Semi-Finals: 8:00 a.m.-approx. 11:00a.m.
· June 15 Finals: 8:00a.m.-approx. 11:00a.m.
· Weather permitting.
· Additional crews in the heavyweight women’s category (Under-23 and Pan Ams) will race at Fanshawe Lake, London, Ont. (times to be announced).