Rio Olympics Day 2 Preview
The Canadian crews racing in Rio on the second day are the Lightweight Men's Four (repechage), Women's Pair, Lightweight Women's Double and the Men's Four - here we will go through their competition, both in their heats, and for the regatta as a whole.
Lightweight Men's Four (Repechage)
First up at 6:00am PT (or 9:00am ET), is the Lightweight Men's Four rep. Crews racing are: Germany, Canada, France and the Czech Republic.
In lane 1 is Germany. While they haven't won a World Championship since 2009 (and 1990 before that), they have been picking up speed in the last year, finishing 2nd at the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta and a 5th in Poznan. In their heat, their time was 6:14.
In lane 2 is Canada. While Canada didn't qualify a boat from London, the program has been picking up speed at every regatta since. This season they finished 13th in Varese and 9th in Lucerne. Their final time in the heat was 6:19.
In lane 3 is France. While they haven't won a medal this season, they have finished 4th twice this season and finished a solid 7th at London 2012. This crew posted the fastest time out of the all the rep boats, with a 6:07 (9 seconds off the fastest time, set by Denmark).
Lane 4 is the Czech Republic. This crew is interesting as they have yet to win a medal internationally, however they did make the A-final in Varese and pulled off a solid 10th place at World Championships last year. They posted the slowest times of all crews with a 6:39 - although it is likely that they were conserving energy for the rep.
Lightweight Men's Four Overall: Top crews in this event would definitely be Switzerland, Denmark, New Zealand, France and Great Britain. If Canada can stick with these crews, they will be in great standings come finals. In their rep, they need to come top 3 to move on to semi-final A/B, otherwise they will be moved to C-final.
Women's Pair
Next up at 6:10am PT (or 9:10am ET), is the Women's Pair. Crews racing are: Denmark, Germany, Canada, Netherlands and Great Britain.
In lane 1, we have Denmark. Transferring over from sculling, both have had some great success in this event, reaching the A-final every time they've raced it. They even won a bronze at Lucerne in 2015. They will be a crew to watch for Canada.
Lane 2 is Germany. Often swapping around in other German boats in the past four years, this duo is likely to end up in B or C-final, as they have yet to make an A-final.
The Canadians, Nicole Hare and Jennifer Martins, are in lane 3. This combination is a wildcard in the event, as Jenn has raced with different partners for the past couple of years - Rio is this pair's first international event. Hare and Martins both have solid international experience, Hare mostly on the U23 level and Martins mainly in the pair. They are certainly a crew to watch.
Lane 4 is the Netherlands. Like Canada, this is a relatively new combination, with only one international race together. The crew that qualified this boat, have been moved into the Women's Eight event, leaving these seats open to these two. A result in the B-finals would be considered a success for the Dutch.
Lane 5 are the leaders in this event, Great Britain. This duo is unbeaten since 2011 and have 36 consecutive races won together. They are heavy favourites for gold.
Women's Pair Overall: Heavy favourites are Great Britain, with USA and New Zealand likely fighting it out for the other medals. Otherwise, other crews for Canada to watch include South Africa, Denmark and Romania.
Lightweight Women's Double
Next up at 6:40am PT (or 9:40am ET), is the Lightweight Women's Double. Crews racing are: Germany, Poland, Chile, Canada and Hong Kong.
Lane 1 is Germany. The Germans have had a successful build up this quadrennial, with an A-final finish in 2015 and a silver at European Championships. While they aren't expected to win the event, they will certainly be pushing to make the A-final.
Lane 2 is Poland. Poland has some mixed results in the past, most of which is in B and C-finals. Their best result is from World Cup #1 in 2015 where they earned a silver medal. Since then, plenty of B-final appearances.
Lane 3 is Chile, with rising star Melita Abraham. Having just turned 19 in July, Melita has raced at the senior level for a few years, winning a silver medals in Rio last year at Junior World Championships. Her partner, Josefa is also 19 and has been equally involved in international rowing at senior and junior levels.
Lane 4 is Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee in the Dirty Double for Canada. The duo has had some impressive results leading up to this regatta, including a win in Lucerne. Expect big finishes and fast racing from this crew as they push to be in the medals.
Lane 5 is Hong Kong, China. With a run of C and D-final finishes, recently they have been posting some consistent B-final finishes. Their best result is 4th in the B-final in Poznan. This crew shouldn't challenge Canada past the 1000 metre mark.
Lightweight Women's Double Overall: New Zealand is a favourite, winning the last two World Championships; however, with defending Olympic Champion, Katherine Copeland, Great Britain has the ability to launch an upset. The Dutch also currently hold the world's best time and won the Final Olympic Qualifier Regatta. The final crew Canada should be watching, based on past results, is South Africa.
Men's Four
Next up at 8:00am PT (or 11:00am ET), is the Men's Four. Crews racing are: Belarus, United States, Canada and Italy.
Lane 1 is Belarus. The country's top boat, the Men's Four has posted some solid results such as 5th in Poznan, 10th in Lucerne and a win in the B-final at London 2012. If Canada wants to medal, this is a crew they should definitely be planning on staying ahead of.
The USA is in lane 2 and they are medal favourites. Winning in Varese and gaining medals at 2 of the 3 World Championships, they should definitely be fighting for medals. Canada should be trying to stick with them.
The True North Four is in lane 3. With two Olympic medalists in the crew, they certainly have the firepower to be at the top of the podium and with A-final finishes in 2014 and 2015, they have everything they need for a great performance. A top 3 finish needed to move into Semi-Final A/B, otherwise they will race in the rep (second chance race).
Lane 4 is Italy and they are also medal favourites. Italy won the World Championships in 2015 and earned two silvers at World Cups in 2016. They are on form for Rio and should definitely be fighting for the lead in this heat.
Men's Four Overall: The top crew in this event will certainly be the British Four, having won the last four Olympics in this event. Challenging them directly will be Australia, Italy, the USA, the Dutch and ideally also the Canadians. Whatever the case, it'll be a close race.
Jordan Wille
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