Canada's three finalists finished just out of the medals today at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Strathclyde, Scotland.
In only the second year as an under 23 event, the women's eight race was a battle - with Canada ending up in fourth place, and the U.S. Women losing their 2006 title to Belarus (6:15.20) and Germany (6:15.43) finishing in a tight second.
The Americans were third in 6:17.85 and Canada's time was 6:22.43 for fourth.
"The women raced well, but the competition was very strong," said Rowing Canada's women's development coach, Al Morrow. "The field in the women's eight event is small, but tough."
The Canadian eight boat consisted of Julia Nelson (St. Catharines, Ont.), Sarah Waterfield (Kingston, Ont.), Elizabeth McCord (Toronto, Ont.), Emma Darling (Vancouver, BC) Lauren Hutchins (West Vancouver, B.C.), Emelia Colman-Shepherd (Port Moody, BC), Audra Vair (Ottawa, Ont.) Stephanie Morrison (Nelson, B.C.), and coxswain Kat Romatowski (St. Catharines, Ont.).
The lightweight men's single of Tim Colson of London, Ont. battled until the line, but also was out of the medals at the finish. New Zealand was first in 7:02.11, then the Netherlands crossed the line in 7:05.63, Germany was third in 7:06.06 and Canada's Colson was less than a second out of the bronze position in 7:06.60.
"Nobody likes coming fourth and it has now happened to me twice - last year in the double and this year in the single," said Colson. "Overall I'm pretty upset, but I raced my best and knew it was going to be close. I just wish that I had something to show for a very hard winter's training."
In the heavyweight men's single, Fraser Berkhout of St. Catharines, Ont. finished in fifth in 7:03.21 - off the pace of medalists from New Zealand, Lithuania and Germany. New Zealand's Joseph Sullivan won the open single event in 6:48.75.
Canada's men's pair (13th), men's eight (7th), and lightweight men's four (8th) did not make the A finals.
Racing today opened in the best conditions of the regatta, with a slight cross-tail wind, but the wind picked up later in the day