For the first time ever, Canada has won gold in the Under 23 women's eight at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships, this year held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Canada won in 06:03.23 - a new world best time - New Zealand took silver in 06:06.02, and the U.S. bronze in 06:07.37 - Germany (06:12.97) and Great Britain (06:19.62) finished out of the medals. Last year, the women's eight finishing order was the United States followed by New Zealand and then Canada, and while the race looked similar at the start, the outcome this year favoured the Canadians.
The crew is Kate Goodfellow (Ottawa, ON), Jennifer Martins (Toronto, ON), Christine Roper (Montego Bay, Jamaica), Lauren Wilkinson (North Vancouver, BC), Sarah Black (Ottawa, ON), Laura Cowal (Thorold, ON), Susanne Grainger (London, ON), Lisa Roman (Langley, BC) and Ellen Fawcett (coxswain) (St. Catharines, ON). The crew's alternate on-site was Elise Mackie (Calgary, AB).
"I will never forget the feeling that went through the boat when our coxswain, Ellen, called a move at the 1k mark," explained Grainger, a graduate of London Central Secondary and an athlete at the University of Virginia. "You could feel everyone really focus in, come together and the boat just flew! Winning the race and attaining the goal we had set for ourselves all became so real when we were standing on the podium singing 'O Canada.' We didn't just do it for ourselves. We did it for our country and all of our family, friends and supporters that are here and back home cheering us on."
The Canadians were obviously not phased by the windy and cool, rainy conditions today on the Bosbaan course.
"Our race felt so powerful! We were completely united and relentless," said Cowal, a St. Catharines Rowing Club member who was named 2011 Big Ten Rowing Athlete of the Year for her rowing efforts at Michigan State University. "I will never forget this day."
Said women's development coach, Michelle Darvill: "The women's eight rowed a great race today. They set out to break the world best time and the fast conditions worked in their favour. It was great to hear the Canadian anthem!"
Also picking up a medal today was 19-year-old Patricia Obee of Victoria, B.C., who was third in the lightweight women's single.
Great Britain won this event in 07:30.19, Belarus took silver in 07:32.65 and Canada grabbed the final medal in 07:38.29 - Sweden 07:42.75, Netherlands 07:47.98 and Belgium 07:49.09 followed.
The lightweight women's double (Elizabeth Fenje of Victoria, BC, and Sydney Boyes of St. Catharines, ON.) was third in its B final, in 07:15.90, which ranks this crew ninth overall.
The lightweight men's four was fourth in the B final, in 06:08.67, finishing 10th overall. This crew is Ian Connell of Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Eric Woelfl of St. Catharines, ON, Stuart Taylor of Brockville, ON, and Sylas Coletto of Vineland, ON.
Yesterday, the men's four - David Lariviere (Hamilton, ON), David Wakulich (St. Catharines, ON), Blake Parsons (Toronto, ON), and Spencer Crowley (Lantzville, BC) - ended up fourth overall.
Also on Saturday, the men's pair (Benjamin de Wit of Nakusp, BC, and Adam Rabalski of Guelph, ON) was third in its C final, finishing 15th overall.
Canada had a total of six crews at this regatta.