Canada’s mix ready for business in Beijing

Their lead ensemble for gold is the reigning World Champion men’s eight. Also reigning World Champions before Athens, the crew finished fifth in the Olympic final. Eight men left Athens with heart-wrenching disappointment; five of them are back this time around – Brian Price, Kyle Hamilton, Adam Kreek, Ben Rutledge and Kevin Light – to close the Beijing finale with the kind of bang that has eluded reigning world champion eights so far at the Olympics. Call it a curse – and one that Coach Mike Spracklen would like to put an end to. Spracklen has loaded the eight with size and power – the Beijing-bound crew averages 1.98m and 96.5kg – and includes veteran winning and Olympic experience.

If the men’s eight is flying into Beijing like a loaded Hercules aircraft, Canada’s men’s pair of David Calder and Scott Frandsen could likely have flown under the radar if it weren’t for their win at the Lucerne Rowing World Cup this year over reigning World Champions Australia and their need to qualify the boat at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Poznan, Poland. The duo will be one of the hungriest crews at the Olympics, no doubt on a mission to overcome the heartache of Athens – Frandsen was in the eight and Calder, in the pair, was excluded for a lane violation.

If history will be any factor for Canada’s women’s crews, look for a resurfacing of the eight on the podium. Six-time Olympian Lesley Thompson-Willie, number ten on World Rowing’s 2007 list of Top 10 Female Rowers, has made a comeback after post-Sydney retirement. Of the last three Olympics she’s coxed for, she’s never settled for less than bronze – gold in 1992, silver in 1996, and bronze in 2000. After coming home empty-handed from Athens, the recent win of the women’s eight at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta and their miss on gold by just one-hundredth of a second at the Rowing World Cup in Poznan are good indicators of what to expect. Women’s eight stroke Jane Rumball says, “What I love about international rowing is the level of excellence that surrounds me. Everyone raises their game at the Olympics and I am personally really looking forward to that – it's the pinnacle of our sport, and brings out the best performances in all of us.”

The lightweight men and women’s selections are also capable of performing with the best in what is often some of the tightest racing in the sport. New double combination Melanie Kok and Tracy Cameron proved strong contenders after winning World Cup bronze (Lucerne) and gold (Poznan). The lightweight four has the depth of experience to handle the high-pressure competition in the only Olympic sweep event for lightweight men, with Iain Brambell and Jon Beare both back for their third Olympics.

The women’s pair has now been announced as Sabrina Kolker and Zoe Hoskins.

"This is a strong team – both in skill and maturity level," said Rowing Canada VP High Performance Phil Monckton.

Complete names for Rowing Canada’s nominations to the Canadian Olympic Team can be found here.

Copy thanks to Lisa Lynam