Christine Roper

Biography

Christine Roper was a member of the women’s eight that won gold at Tokyo 2020. It was Canada’s first Olympic gold in any women’s rowing event since Atlanta 1996 and the first gold in the women’s eight since Barcelona 1992.

Roper moved to Canada from her native Jamaica after graduating university in 2011 to begin training with the national team. A year later, she made her senior international debut and won a pair of medals at the 2013 World Championships, taking bronze with the eight and silver with the four. She followed that up with world championship silver in 2014 and another bronze in 2015 as a member of the eight. Until a fourth-place finish at the 2016 regatta in Lucerne, she had also reached the podium at every World Cup event at which she had competed with the eight.

Roper made her Olympic debut with the eight in 2016, finishing fifth in Rio. She returned to the world championship podium in 2017, winning silver with the eight. Another silver followed at the 2018 World Championships, bringing her career total to five world championship medals in the big boat.

In 2019, Roper helped Canada qualify the eight for Tokyo 2020 with a fourth-place finish at the world championships.

Roper first represented Canada at the 2010 U23 World Championships where the eight won the bronze medal. A year later, Roper and the eight won U23 world gold. In 2012 she claimed a second U23 world title with the four. In her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, Roper and the eight advanced to the A final, finishing fifth.

A Little More About Christine

Getting into the Sport: Started rowing at age 14 after having been a swimmer… Loves sports where there is a race; rowing had the right combination of being a racing sport and an ultimate teamwork sport… Had her Olympic dream sparked while watching the Canadian men’s eight win gold at Beijing 2008… Outside Interests: Enjoys reading and cooking… Graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology… Odds and Ends: Has a lucky pendant that she wears on her necklace while racing… Always travels with a good book…  Role model is three-time Olympic champion Kathleen Heddle.. Favourite motto: Champions are made when no one is watching…