Team Canada is set to compete at the pinnacle event with 16 Canadian crews dawning the maple leaf at the World Rowing Championships from August 25 – September 1 in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria. A record 80 nations will take part in this main qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Following Canada’s success at World Rowing Cup 2 and World Rowing Cup 3 in Poland and Rotterdam, the Canadian women’s, men’s and para programs have solidified their crews with the primary objective of securing 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games berths via the 2019 Worlds in Austria.

“I am very pleased to see the ongoing progress of the National Team crews and RCA’s high-performance program more broadly, as we transition from a very positive World Cup series towards the team’s first opportunity to qualify boats for the 2020 Paralympic and Olympic Games in Tokyo,” said RCA High Performance Director, Iain Brambell. “As national team crews complete their final preparations for Worlds this week, we are confident they are well positioned to compete for A Finals (top 6), podium performances, and 2020 qualification positions.”

The Canadian Women’s squad, led by Head Coach Dave Thompson, Phil Marshall and Gavin McKay, will see some familiar crew combinations as well as a few crew changes for this event.

2018 World silver medallists Lisa Roman (London, ON), Nicole Hare (Calgary, AB), Christine Roper (Ottawa, ON), Susanne Grainger (London, ON), and coxswain Kristen Kit (St. Catharines, ON) will be joined by 2018 World Champion Pair, Hillary Janssens (Cloverdale, BC) and Caileigh Filmer (Victoria, BC) in the Women’s Eight. World Under 23 Gold medallist Avalon Wasteneys (Campbell River, BC) and Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski (Calgary, AB) will round out this powerful crew.

Janssens and Filmer will be doubling up to defend their 2018 World title and secure an Olympic berth in the Women’s Pair.

The Women’s Four will be raced for the first time since 1992 as an Olympic event. Canada will field a strong crew to seek qualification including 2018 World medallists, Madison Mailey (Burnaby, BC), Sydney Payne (Toronto, ON), Jennifer Martins (Toronto, ON), and Stephanie Grauer (Vancouver, BC).

Andrea Proske (Langley, BC) and Gabrielle Smith (Unionville, ON) will be looking to improve upon their bronze medal finish from World Cup 3 in the Women’s Double.

World Cup 2 gold medallist Jill Moffatt (Bethany, ON) will remain in Lightweight Double with partner Jennifer Casson (Kingston, ON), finishing 7th at World Cup 3. Ellen Gleadow (Vancouver, BC) will compete in Lightweight Single event following her 4th place finish at World Cup 3.

Rio Olympian Carling Zeeman (Cambridge, ON) will make her sixth Senior World Championship appearance, racing in the Women’s Single for the fourth consecutive season, currently under the leadership of Head Coach Dick Tonks.

Tonks and assistant coach Jeremy Ivey also lead the Canadian Men’s Pair, Double, Lightweight Double and Lightweight Single.

Two-time Olympian and Olympic silver medallist Conlin McCabe (Brockville, ON) is lining up with 2016 Olympian Kai Langerfeld (Vancouver, BC) in the Men’s Pair following their bronze medal finish at World Cup 2.

2015 Pan Am Games Gold medallist Matt Buie (Duntroon, ON) teams up with two-time U23 World Champion Trevor Jones (Lakefield, ON) in the Men’s Double sculls.

Maxwell Lattimer (Delta, BC) and Patrick Keane (Victoria, BC) will race the Lightweight Men’s Double finishing just off the podium in 4th place at World Rowing Cup 2. Maxwell’s brother Aaron Lattimer (Delta, BC) will race in the Lightweight Men’s Single.

The Men’s Eight crew, led by coach Terry Paul, remains unchanged with 2012 Olympic silver medallist Will Crothers (Kingston, ON), Mackenzie Copp (London, ON), Taylor Perry (Ancaster, ON), Gavin Stone (Brampton, ON), Benjamin De Wit (Port Alice, BC), Martin Barakso (Nanaimo, BC), Cody Bailey (St. Mary’s, ON) Jakub Buczek (Burnaby, BC) and nine-time Olympic coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie (London, ON).

Canada will be represented in four Paralympic boats with Tokyo 2020 qualification up for grabs in two of the events. Coach John Wetzstein will lead the Canadian Para team in Linz.

2018 World Silver medallist Jeremy Hall (St. Paul, AB) will race in the PR2 Men’s Single and will look to qualify the PR2 Mixed Double with newcomer Jessye Brockway (Mill Bay, BC).

2016 Paralympic bronze medallist Andrew Todd (Thunder Bay, ON) and Kyle Fredrickson (Duncan, BC) will team up again in the PR3 Men’s Pair to defend their world championship title following their impressive win at the 2018 Rowing World Championships.

Loren Pearson (Kamloops, BC) will make his first World Championship appearance in the PR1 Men’s Single, where he will look to qualify a place for Canada at the 2020 Paralympic Games.

Racing starts on August 25th until September 1, 2019 with live streaming available every day at CBC Sports.

The 2019 World Rowing Championships Qualification System for Tokyo 2020 can be found here.

Join the conversation @rowingcanada: #WRChamps #rowtotokyo #rowingcanada #truenorthstrong

Canadian Crews – World Rowing Championships

PR2 Men’s Single
Jeremy HallEdmonton Rowing Club
PR2 Mixed Double
Jeremy HallEdmonton Rowing Club
Jessye BrockwayGorge Rowing Club
PR3 Men’s Pair
Andrew ToddNorth Star Rowing Club
Kyle FredricksonUniversity of Victoria Rowing Club
PR1 Men’s Single
Loren PearsonVictoria City Rowing Club
Women’s Eight
Lisa RomanMiddlesex-Western Rowing Club
Susanne GraingerLondon Rowing Club
Nicole HareCalgary Rowing Club
Avalon WasteneysUniversity of Victoria Rowing Club
Kasia Gruchalla-WesierskiCalgary Rowing Club
Hillary JanssensUniversity of British Columbia Rowing Club
Christine RoperOttawa Rowing Club
Caileigh FilmerUniversity of Victoria Rowing Club
Kristen Kit (coxswain)University of British Columbia Rowing Club/St. Catharines Rowing Club
Women’s Pair
Hillary JanssensUniversity of British Columbia Rowing Club
Caileigh FilmerUniversity of Victoria Rowing Club
Women’s Four
Madison MaileyBurnaby Lake Rowing Club
Jennifer MartinsWestern University Rowing Club
Stephanie GrauerBurnaby Lake Rowing Club
Sydney PayneBrentwood College Rowing Club
Women’s Double
Andrea ProskeVictoria City Rowing Club
Gabrielle SmithKnowlton Rowing Club
Lightweight Women’s Double
Jill MoffattWestern University Rowing Club
Jennifer CassonKingston Rowing Club
Lightweight Women’s Single
Ellen GleadowBurnaby Lake Rowing Club
Spares
Kristin BauderMiddlesex-Western Rowing Club
Morgan RostsRidley Graduate Boat Club
Rebecca ZimmermanUniversity of Victoria Rowing Club
Laura CourtSt. Catharines Rowing Club
Women’s Single
Carling ZeemanSudbury Rowing Club
Men’s Pair
Conlin McCabeBrockville Rowing Club
Kai LangerfeldUniversity of Victoria Rowing Club
Men’s Eight
Benjamin de WitUniversity of British Columbia Rowing Club
Cody BaileyMicMac Aquatic Center
Gavin StoneQueen’s University Rowing Club
Jakub BuczekBurnaby Lake Rowing Club
Mackenzie CoppWestern University Rowing Club
Martin BaraksoBrentwood College Rowing Club
Taylor PerryLeander Boat Club
Will CrothersKingston Rowing Club
Lesley Thompson-Willie (coxswain)London Rowing Club
Men’s Double
Matthew BuieSt. Catharines Rowing Club
Trevor JonesPeterborough Rowing Club
Lightweight Men’s Double
Maxwell LattimerUniversity of British Columbia Rowing Club
Patrick KeaneVictoria City Rowing Club
Lightweight Men’s Single
Aaron LattimerUniversity of British Columbia Rowing Club
Spares
David De GrootBrock University Rowing Club
Tim SchrijverBrock University Rowing Club