Canada captures silver in women’s eight rowing

CITYnews halifax / By Sportsnet Staff

If the Canadian women’s eight rowing team couldn’t defend its gold, it will certainly take the next best thing.

Three years after winning the event in Tokyo, Canada took silver on Saturday in Paris, narrowly edging out Great Britain to remain in second position with a time of five minutes, 58.84 seconds.

Romania handily won gold, separating itself from the pack in the final 500 metres and crossing the finish line with a time of 5:54:39. Romania was sixth in this event in Tokyo.

It is Canada’s 12th medal at Paris 2024 (three gold, three silver, six bronze) and the country’s sixth all-time in women’s eight.

Canada earned the chance to defend its Tokyo gold after placing second in their repechage on Thursday.

The Canada women’s team has four returning members from the Tokyo gold-medal squad — Calgary’s Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Toronto’s Sydney Payne and Avalon Wasteneys of Campbell River, B.C., along with coxswain Kristen Kit of St. Catharines, Ont.,

The other rowers are Abby Dent of Kenora, Ont., Victoria’s Caileigh Filmer, Maya Meschkuliet of Mississauga, Ont., Jessica Sevick of Strathmore, Alta., and Kristina Walker of Wolfe Island, Ont.

The women’s eight was one of only two Canadian boats to qualify for the Olympic rowing competition, previously a strength for the country at the Summer Games.

The silver marks the 10th Olympics in a row in which Canada has won at least one rowing medal.