Weekend Wrap: U23 National Team Brings Home Three Medals in Plovdiv
The best under-23 rowers in the world descended on Plovdiv, Bulgaria last week to compete in the 2023 World Rowing U23 Championships.
Over five days of competition from July 19-23, the participants battled it out under scorching temperatures on the Plovdiv Rowing Canal. The Canadian contingent showcased their potential earning three well-deserved bronze medals in women’s lightweight single, men’s lightweight quad and women’s eight.
The Men’s Lightweight Quad of Giancarlo DiPompeo, Emerson Crick, Lucas Celia, and Connor Dodds claimed the first medal of the regatta for Canada on Saturday with a gutsy bronze medal effort. This remarkable achievement marked the first international medals for the promising rowers. Employing a controlled approach in the last 1000m, the Quad held their ground and clinched the final step on the podium, behind the Italian and German boats.
On Sunday, two more bronze medals were won starting with Karissa Riley in the lightweight single. Riley battled fiercely with Elis Ozbay from Turkey and Ilaria Corazza from Italy throughout the first 1000m, the trio created a gap from the rest of the field. In a tight battle for the medals, she narrowly missed the silver to the Italian rower in the final 500m.
In one of the most dramatic finishes of the regatta, the Canadian Women’s Eight secured a bronze medal by the slimmest of margins – edging out the British Women’s Eight by a mere 0.06 of a second. Executing a patient race plan, the Canadian crew found themselves in fifth place after the initial 500m. However, they steadily gained momentum, chasing down their competitors and launching a powerful surge in the final 500m to claim the coveted bronze on the podium.
For the full story on the 2023 World Rowing U23 Championships visit the RCA website.
2023 World Rowing Under 23 Championships – Canadian Team Results
Women’s Lightweight Single (BLW1x) – Bronze
Karissa Riley (Calgary Rowing Club / University of Western Ontario / Alberta)
Men’s Lightweight Quad (BLM4x) – Bronze
Giancarlo DiPompeo (St. Catharines Rowing Club / University of Victoria / Ontario)
Emerson Crick (Halifax Rowing Club / University of British Columbia / Nova Scotia)
Lucas Celia (Kingston Rowing Club / Queen’s University / Ontario)
Connor Dodds (Regina Rowing Club / Brock University / Saskatchewan)
Women’s Eight (BW8+) – Bronze
Lyndsey Bryden (University of British Columbia / BC)
Claire Ellison (Kingston Rowing Club / Queen’s University / Nova Scotia)
Parker Illingworth (Montreal Rowing Club / University of Texas)
Mira Calder (Victoria City Rowing Club / University or Washington / BC)
Ellie Sousa (Victoria City Rowing Club / University of Victoria / BC)
Lucy Black (Four Bridges Rowing Club / Stanford University / New Brunswick)
Fiona Elliott (London Western Rowing Club / Washington State University / Ontario)
Jana Peachey (North Star Rowing Club/ University of Michigan / Nova Scotia)
Jack Pankratz (c) (Argonaut Rowing Club/ University of Toronto / Ontario)
Women’s Four (BW4-) – 5th in A Final
Emma Seawright (Don Rowing Club / University of Tennessee / Ontario)
Maya Meschkuleit (Don Rowing Club / Yale University / Ontario)
Leia Till (Brockville Rowing Club / University of Virginia / Ontario)
Abby Dent (Kenora Rowing Club / University of Michigan / Manitoba)
Women’s Pair (BW2-) – 1st in B Final – 7th Overall
Sally Jones (Victoria City Rowing Club / University of British Columbia / BC)
Rachel Weber (Ottawa Rowing Club / University of Western Ontario / Ontario)
Men’s Four (BM4-) – 2nd in B Final – 8th Overall
Julian Black (University of British Columbia / BC)
Julien Wiese (University of British Columbia / BC)
Aidan Hembruff (Ottawa Rowing Club / University of Western Ontario / Ontario)
Axel Ewashko (University of British Columbia / Alberta)
Men’s Lightweight Single (BLM1x) – 3rd in B Final – 9th Overall
Stephen Harris (Guelph Rowing Club / Brock University / Ontario)
Men’s Pair (BM2-) – 5th in B Final – 11th Overall
Michael Keane (Victoria City Rowing Club / University of British Columbia / BC)
Bob Bryden (Kingston Rowing Club / Queen’s University / Alberta)
Men’s Double (BM2x) – 4th in C Final – 16th Overall
Andrew Hubbard (Calgary Rowing Club / Queen’s University / Alberta)
Michael Ciepiela (Brock University / Ontario)
Picture is property of RCA / With files from RCA
