Canadian rowers eye Olympic qualification at world championships

Among Canada’s record 217 Pan Am Games medals at Toronto 2015 were 11 in rowing, including eight gold, tops among all the competing nations. Many members of that team are now in Aiguebelette, France for the 2015 World Rowing Championships, which take on extra importance this year as the primary Olympic qualifier.

Canada is fielding crews in 10 Olympic events at the championships, which begin with heats on Sunday, August 30 and continue through to next Sunday, September 6.

Here is a look at the Canadian rowers that will compete in those Olympic boat classes and what they need to do to secure a spot on the start line at Rio 2016:

Women’s Eight

Canada's women's eight rowing team (L-R) Janine Hanson, Rachelle Viinberg, Krista Guloien, Lauren Wilkinson, Natalie Mastracci, Ashley Brzozowicz, Darcy Marquardt, Andreanne Morin and Lesley Thompson-Willie at London 2012 after their silver medal performance.

Canada’s women’s eight rowing team (L-R) Janine Hanson, Rachelle Viinberg, Krista Guloien, Lauren Wilkinson, Natalie Mastracci, Ashley Brzozowicz, Darcy Marquardt, Andreanne Morin and Lesley Thompson-Willie at London 2012 after their silver medal performance.

  • Olympic qualification: Top 5
  • Finals: September 6

Crew: Cristy Nurse, Lisa Roman, Susanne Grainger, Jennifer Martins, Christine Roper, Ashley Brzozowicz, Natalie Mastracci, Lauren Wilkinson, Lesley Thompson-Willie (coxswain)

The women’s eight was not on the Pan Am program, so this crew is coming off a gold medal at the final World Cup of the summer in Lucerne, Switzerland. Four of the crew members are holdovers from the boat that won silver at London 2012 behind the rival United States, which has not lost a major race in this event since 2006 (the Americans were absent in Lucerne). Canada has been steadily gaining ground and had a silver medal at the World Cup in Varese, Italy. Eight of the women were in the boat that won silver at the 2014 World Championships.

Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls

Jennerich & Obee - 2014 World Rowing Championships

Jennerich & Obee – 2014 World Rowing Championships.

  • Olympic qualification: Top 11
  • Finals: September 5

Crew: Patricia Obee, Lindsay Jennerich

The reigning world silver medallists didn’t compete at Toronto 2015 but have been podium contenders since winning silver at the 2011 World Championships.

Men’s Four

The men’s coxless four crew (Will Crothers, Kai Langerfeld, Conlin McCabe and Tim Schrijver) rowed to gold at Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

The men’s coxless four crew (Will Crothers, Kai Langerfeld, Conlin McCabe and Tim Schrijver) rowed to gold at Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

  • Olympic qualification: Top 11
  • Finals: September 5

Crew: Will Crothers, Tim Schrijver, Kai Langerfeld, Conlin McCabe

This event is a toss-up, with World Cup wins this season from Belarus, the United States and Australia, while Great Britain won the European Championships. This Canadian crew is certainly in the podium mix, having won bronze at the Varese World Cup and gold at the Pan Am Games. Crothers and McCabe were both members of the silver medal-winning eight at London 2012.

As proof of the hard work the Canadians have been putting into training, McCabe recorded a time of 5:39.4 in a 2km ergometer test earlier in the summer. He is just the fourth man to ever break the 5:40 mark in such a test and was just off the world record of 5:39.3 set in 2008. The score will certainly be a boost to the entire team’s confidence.

Men’s Quad Sculls

Matthew Buie, Julien Bahain, Rob Gibson and Will Dean (left to right) after winning gold in men's quadruple sculls at the Pan Am Games July 14, 2015.

Matthew Buie, Julien Bahain, Rob Gibson and Will Dean (left to right) after winning gold in men’s quadruple sculls at the Pan Am Games July 14, 2015.

  • Olympic qualification: Top 8
  • Finals: September 5

Crew: Matthew Buie, Julien Bahain, Will Dean, Rob Gibson

This quartet won Pan Am gold after taking bronze at the season’s second World Cup in Varese. A member of the London 2012 silver medal-winning eight, Gibson has shifted to sculling this season. For Bahain, the worlds will be a homecoming of sorts. He won a bronze medal in the quad sculls at Beijing 2008 competing for his native France before moving to his mother’s homeland in 2014 to proudly wear the maple leaf.

Women’s Pair

  • Olympic qualification: Top 11
  • Finals: September 5

Crew: Jennifer Martins, Cristy Nurse

The duo did not compete at Toronto 2015 but enters the world championships on the heels of a fourth place finish at the World Cup in Lucerne.

Men’s Pair

  • Olympic qualification: Top 11
  • Finals: September 5

Crew: Martin Barakso, Mike Evans

Fifth at the Pan Am Games, Barakso and Evans are both making their first senior worlds appearances. Evans previously represented Great Britain as a junior and U23 competitor. This event has been recently dominated by the “Kiwi Pair” of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray who recorded their 57th straight win at the World Cup in Lucerne.

Women’s Single Sculls

Carling Zeeman

Carling Zeeman at Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

  • Olympic qualification: Top 9
  • Finals: September 6

Crew: Carling Zeeman

Zeeman won Pan Am gold by more than seven seconds following her fourth place finish at the second World Cup stop in Varese.

Men’s Single Sculls

  • Olympic qualification: Top 9
  • Finals: September 6

Crew: Pascal Lussier

After winning Pan Am bronze in the double sculls, Lussier is going solo at the world championships in a highly competitive field.

Women’s Double Sculls

Kerry Maher-Shaffer and Antje von Seydlitz celebrate their Pan Am Games gold on July 13, 2015.

Kerry Maher-Shaffer and Antje von Seydlitz celebrate their Pan Am Games gold on July 13, 2015. Von Seydlitz will team up with Kate Goodfellow in France for the World Championships.

  • Olympic qualification: Top 11
  • Finals: September 6

Crew: Antje von Seydlitz, Kate Goodfellow

Goodfellow and von Seydlitz were both members of the quad sculls crew that won silver at the 2013 World Championships. At Toronto 2015, von Seydlitz teamed with Kerry Maher-Shaffer to win gold in this event.

Men’s Lightweight Four

  • Olympic qualification: Top 11
  • Finals: September 6

Crew: Brendan Hodge, Maxwell Lattimer, Nicolas Pratt, Eric Woelfl

This foursome is coming off a gold medal at the Pan Am Games.