The sun and cloudless skies returned on Monday morning as the Henley course heated up. Crews took to the waters in St.Catharines, Ontario in the hunt for Pan American gold on the first of three final days at the Pan American regatta.
The first medal up for grabs this morning was in the women's pair. Rosie Deboef and Kristin Bauder raced to a bronze medal before a roaring crowd of Canadian fans who were on their feet cheering them on.
"It was an amazing experience," said Bauder. "There is nothing like racing at home. The crowd was unbelievable. It's incredible!"
The American crew won the gold while the Chilean crew picked up the silver.
In the women's double, Kerry Shaffer and Antje Von Seydlitz bolted out of the starting gates quickly.
"We struggled to find a rhythm," said Von Seydlitz following her race. "But we eventually got it."
The duo had an incredible sprint in the last 500 meters of the race, crossing the line first and winning Canada's first rowing gold of the regatta.
"We practiced the sprint a lot," continued Von Seydlitz, "I am so glad it came through in the end."
The Americans and the Cubans rounded out the second and third places respectively.
The men's double of Pascal Lussier and Matthew Buie also had a solid race winning a bronze, the third medal for Canada this morning, on the Royal Canadian Henley Course.
Solidly in third place for the majority of the race, the duo finished behind a strong Cuban crew who crossed the line first and an Argentinian crew that picked up the silver.
"We tried to start strong and fast," said Lussier, "We gave it all that we could."
The two rowers, who have only been rowing together for a short time, were pleased with the result.
"We have not been rowing together for a long time so we are a work in progress," continued Lussier. "A medal is a great way to end this competition."
The last event of the morning was the men's four of Will Crothers, Tim Schrijver, Kai Langerfeld and Conlin McCabe.
This crew recently won a bronze medal at a world cup race in Europe last month and they were eager to show their speed in front of the home crowd in St. Catharines.
The foursome, who call themselves the #TrueNorth4, did not disappoint fans this morning. Storming out of the blocks, they led from pillar to post to the delight of the cheering crowd.
"It's really special being here," said McCabe, who is from Brockville, Ontario. "I love hearing the roar in the stands and thinking that my friends and family are cheering us on."
There are two more days of finals scheduled at the Pan American Regatta. Many of the athletes who raced today must now regroup and switch gears as they prepare for the finals of their respective second events.
The Canadian team won a medal in every final today, finishing with a total of 2 gold and 2 bronze medals. Canada is expected to be stepping onto the podium once again on Tuesday.