Canadian Women’s Rowing Team Clinches Gold at Lucerne World Cup

May 27, 2024 – The Canadian women’s eight rowing team, reigning Olympic champions, demonstrated their formidable prowess by clinching gold at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland. This event served as a crucial international tune-up ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The team, comprising Jessica Sevick, Caileigh Filmer, Maya Meschkuleit, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Kristen Siermachesky, Sydney Payne, Kristina Walker, Abigail Dent, and coxswain Kristen Kit, finished the race in an impressive six minutes and 4.47 seconds. Great Britain secured silver with a time of 6:05.57, and the U.S. took bronze, clocking in at 6:08.77.

Great Britain won gold in this event with a time of 6:54.83, followed by New Zealand (6:57.68) and the U.S. (7:01.37).

A late lineup change due to Avalon Wasteneys’ illness saw Siermachesky, the team’s spare, step in, and Dent move up to the stroke seat. Despite this, the team remained resilient and adaptable.

“We embraced the last-minute changes and used it to our advantage,” Dent said. “The boat stuck to the rhythm from stroke one and never backed down, staying calm, cool, and collected right to the end.”

In addition to the women’s eight, the women’s lightweight double of Jill Moffatt and Jennifer Casson also competed in Lucerne. Although they finished just off the podium in fourth place with a time of 7:03.43, their performance against top international competition bodes well for their preparation for Paris.

“We are definitely going to come home and really analyze where we can make strides forward to Paris,” Moffatt said. “We still believe we can podium at the Paris Olympic Games and will be putting the pieces together to do that.”

Both the women’s eight and the lightweight double team of Moffatt and Casson secured their spots for the Paris Olympics at last year’s world championship in Belgrade, Serbia. The recent success in Lucerne underscores their potential to achieve podium finishes in Paris.

As the countdown to the Paris Games continues, the Canadian women’s rowing team is committed to refining their strategies and performance. Their victory in Lucerne not only highlights their resilience but also sets a promising tone for their Olympic campaign.