On the opening day of the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Munich, Germany, Canada's women's pair proved it's among the best in its class.
Darcy Marquardt of Richmond, B.C. and Jane Rumball of Fredericton, N.B., 2006 women's pair World Champions, won their heat in 7:18.54, followed by China and Denmark.
"It wasn't one of our best starts, but we got back into a rhythm quickly," said Marquardt, "and soon that effortless feeling of following Jane returned."
Said Rumball: "We had a lot of confidence going into the race today and it was reaffirming to be able to come back from that start to win the heat"
Canada's time was 7:18.54. The top three pairs in this event advanced to the semi-finals from the heats. The top eight women's pairs at this regatta will qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
"Today was a real confidence builder," said the women's coach, Carsten Hassing. "They had a lot of speed and it is nice to see that they didn't panic after the first 500 (metres)."
The men's pair of Chris Jarvis of St. Catharines, Ont. and Dan Casaca of Toronto, Ont. - Pan American gold medallists in this event - was third in today's heat in 6:43.37. With only the top men's pair moving to the semi, Jarvis and Casaca must row in a rep to advance. Great Britain's Colin Smith and Matthew Langridge moved past the South Africans and Croatia's Skelin brothers to finish first in 6:37.27 and advance directly to the semi-finals.
In the first event rowed today, Kip McDaniel of Cobble Hill, B.C., Derek O'Farrell of Montreal, Que., and coxswain Brian Price of Belleville, Ont. were second in their heat of the men's coxed pair event. Croatia took first and advance to the final in 7:04.92, while Canada (7:06.81) and the remaining pairs from this heat must row in the repechage.
"To go through to the repechage isn't a bad thing for us as we haven't had a whole season's worth of racing in this boat and this gives us another chance to race," said Brian Price. "I have to quickly refocus as I have the heat in the men's eight tomorrow, which is my priority event here"
In the lightweight men's single, Tim Colson of London, Ont. was third in his heat in 7:05.63.
Melanie Kok of St. Catharines, Ont. - rowing in the lightweight women's single - was also third. Both Colson and Kok are spares for the lightweight Olympic-class boats.
In the men's four event, Barney Williams of Salt Spring Island, BC, Rob Gibson of Kingston, Ont., Peter Dembicki of West Vancouver, B.C., and Scott Frandsen of Kelowna, B.C. finished fourth today in 6:05.52.
Tomorrow is the start of the lightweight men's pair; lightweight women's double; lightweight men's pair; women's quad; men's quad; women's eight and men's eight events. Also tomorrow, all the crews of the Canadian adaptive team begin their Worlds' campaign.
Conditions were good today on the 2000-metre Munich rowing course, which was built for the 1972 Games.