Canadian crews are ready to race tomorrow at the Samsung World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland - the second largest World Cup (by number of entries) held here on the scenic Rotsee course.
"We are entered in 11 Olympic class events and have two non-Olympic entries - there are a lot of high quality boats and high quality athletes," said Rowing Canada Aviron High Performance Director Peter Cookson.
For Canada, tomorrow begins with the non-Olympic event of the lightweight women's single where Patricia Obee of Victoria, BC, makes her World Cup debut. Obee, still an Under 23 rower, is the alternate for the lightweight women's double, which is the only Olympic event for lightweight women.
The Canadian lightweight double seats still belong to 2010 World Champions Tracy Cameron (Shubenacadie, NS) and Lindsay Jennerich (Victoria, BC) - tomorrow they face Denmark, the U.S., Hungary, Austria and Japan in their heat at 11:54 local time.
Earlier in the day, World bronze medalists Rares Crisan (Mississauga, ON) and Matt Jensen (Innerkip, ON) will attempt to get a first place in the heat to advance directly to the final and avoid an afternoon repechage.
The men's pair event marks the return of 2008 Olympic silver medalists David Calder of Victoria and Scott Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C. Calder, who has been on the National team for more than 10 years and has raced in Lucerne nine times, teamed up with Frandsen again this year with the goal of representing Canada successfully at next year's Olympic Games.
"It's been a great two weeks in Europe and it has prepared us really well. Getting a few kinks out in Amsterdam with some racing and the time in Erba (at the men's Italian training camp) was perfect. This is a great venue and we feel ready to go," said Frandsen.
In the heat, Canada will face World Champions Hamish Bond and Eric Murray of New Zealand, as well as pairs from Croatia, Spain and Chile.
The lightweight men's double is also a partnership that dates back to the 2008 Olympics. Cam Sylvester (Caledon, ON) and Doug Vandor (Dewittville, QC) were World Cup medalists last year and finished fourth in the World in New Zealand last fall. Tomorrow they face Poland, Greece, Belarus and Chile in the fourth of six heats in this Olympic event.
Canada also has men's and women's doubles entered here in Lucerne. The men - Fraser Berkhout (St. Catharines, ON) and Mike Wilkinson (Vancouver, BC) - raced and won at a recent regatta in the Netherlands and hope to make an impression in their first World Cup together. The women's double is also a newer combination, as Emma Darling of Vancouver, who was in the eight last year, teams up with Emily Cameron of Summerside, PEI, who rowed in the women's quad at the 2010 Worlds.
Canada has two entries in the women's pair Carolyn Ganes (Saskatoon, SK) with Larissa Lagzdins (Burlington, ON); and 2008 Olympians Sarah Bonikowsky (Orangeville, ON) and Jane Rumball (Fredericton, NB). These Canadian pairs drew the same heat, and that will see them face the U.S., Australia and Germany tomorrow.
In what always promises to provide some exciting races, the lightweight men's four event sees Canada facing Australia, South Africa, Italy, Switzerland and Chile. The four is Morgan Jarvis (Winnipeg, MB), Mike Lewis (Victoria, BC), Tim Myers (Penticton, BC) and John Sasi (North Delta, BC).
The men's four has a revised lineup due to injury - and now includes Steven Van Knotsenburg of Beamsville, ON, Will Dean of Kelowna, BC, Kevin Kowalyk of Winnipeg, MB, and Anthony Jacob of Vancouver. In the first heat of this event, Canada faces Great Britain, the U.S., Germany, Estonia and Spain in tomorrow.
Among the 27 male single scullers racing tomorrow is 2008 gold medalist (men's eight) Malcolm Howard of Victoria. He faces Lithuania, Belarus, Finland and Poland tomorrow afternoon, 1:42 local time. You can follow the races online at www.worldrowing.com.
The women's eight - last year's World silver medalists - again face the Netherlands, who recently beat Canada at the Holland-Beker in Amsterdam, as well as Russia and Germany in the first heat tomorrow. The current World Champions are from the U.S. and are in the second heat.
The eight is Lesley Thompson-Willie (London, ON), Ashley Brzozowicz (London, ON), Krista Guloien (Port Moody, BC), Janine Hanson (Winnipeg, MB), Darcy Marquardt (Richmond, BC), Natalie Mastracci (Thorold, ON), Andreanne Morin (Montreal, QC), Cristy Nurse (Georgetown, ON) and Rachelle Viinberg (Regina, SK)
The men's eight races in the final heat of the day against the Netherlands, the Ukraine, Great Britain and Australia.
The eight is Brian Price (Belleville, ON), Will Crothers (Kingston, ON), Rob Gibson (Kingston, ON), Doug Csima (Oakville, ON), Jeremiah Brown (Cobourg, ON), Conlin McCabe (Brockville, ON), Andrew Byrnes (Toronto, ON), Derek O'Farrell (Unionville, ON) and Gabe Bergen (100 Mile House, BC).
"We have made the best of the short time that we've been in Europe and I feel we are prepared, but we don't know where we stand against the rest of the world," said coxswain Brian Price, who has returned to the National Team after a couple of years away from the eight. "The fact that we don't have the current World Champions (Germany) in our heat is good."
The weather has been warm and pleasant, but crews training this afternoon were forced off the course by a sudden storm, and forecasts for the weekend predict similar conditions.