By Canadian Press

Canadian men’s rowing eight misses Olympic berth by heartbreaking margin

May 21, 2024 | 12:15 PM

LUCERNE, Switzerland — Canada came agonizingly close to adding to its Paris-bound rowing team in Tuesday’s last-chance qualifier, but will have just two boats entered in Olympic rowing.

The men’s eight needed to finish in the top two in Lucerne, Switzerland, but placed third in a photo finish by one hundredth of a second to runner-up Italy, which qualified alongside winner United States.

Canada also finished third in the women’s quadruple sculls behind the U.S. and Ukraine. The Canadians were just over a second back of the runner-up Ukrainians.

Canada entered 10 boats in Tokyo’s 2021 Summer Olympics for the country’s largest rowing contingent since 10 competed in 1996. 

A men’s eight hasn’t qualified for an Olympic Games since winning a silver medal in London in 2012.

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The Canadian women’s eight, which is the reigning Olympic champion, and the women’s lightweight double of Jill Moffatt and Jennifer Casson will wear the Maple Leaf in Paris.

They will compete in a World Cup in Lucerne from Friday to Sunday in an international Olympic tune-up.

Tuesday’s para women’s single sculls winner qualified for the Paralympic Games in Paris. Christa Akins of Kelowna, B.C., finished fifth.

Mukhayyo Abdusattarova of Uzbekistan won the race, but a protest was lodged over her ability classification. The Paralympic berth allocation was postponed.

The women’s eight and Moffatt, of Bethany, Ont., and Casson, of Kingston, Ont., qualified for Paris at last year’s world championship in Belgrade, Serbia.

Moffatt and Casson placed fourth and the women’s eight fifth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press