Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Team Unveiled

DUNCAN, B.C  – Rowing Canada Aviron, Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada rowing athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The athletes are:

Women’s Eight:
Abby Dent (Kenora, Ont.)
Caileigh Filmer (Victoria, B.C.)
Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski (Calgary, Alta.)
Kristen Kit (St. Catharines, Ont.)
Maya Meschkuleit (Mississauga, Ont.)
Sydney Payne (Toronto, Ont.)
Jessica Sevick (Strathmore, Alta.)
Kristina Walker (Wolfe Island, Ont.)
Avalon Wasteneys (Campbell River, B.C.)

Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls:
Jenny Casson (Kingston, Ont.)
Jill Moffatt (Bethany, Ont.)

Para Rowing
Men’s PR1 Single Sculls:
Jacob Wasserman (Saskatoon, Sask.)

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions in the women’s eight have their sights set on defending their gold medal in Paris. The experienced Canadian boat includes four returning Olympic champions from Tokyo: Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Kristen Kit, Sydney Payne and Avalon Wasteneys.

“Returning for my second Olympic Games makes me feel incredibly grateful for all the amazing support and hard work that has brought us to this point,” said Wasteneys. “Heading into Paris, I’m really looking forward to witnessing a full Olympic experience, especially after the more limited Tokyo Olympic Games experience during the global pandemic. What I am genuinely most excited about is getting out there and competing with my teammates. This crew continually excels under pressure, and I can’t wait to see how we rise to the challenge of performing at the highest possible level in Paris!”

Caileigh Filmer, who won Olympic bronze in the women’s pair at Tokyo 2020 with Hillary Janssens, will compete at her third Olympic Games. Filmer returned to rowing in 2023 after spending a couple of years away competing in road and track cycling. Filmer made her Olympic debut in the women’s eight at Rio 2016 and is looking forward to being back in the big boat in Paris.

“Being selected to go to my third Olympic Games is a dream come true that I would not have thought possible a year ago. I picked up an oar again last July when I came back to the sport, inspired to help Canada become back-to-back Olympic champions in the women’s eight. I am so proud of the entire team for our growth, integrity, and courage every day. I’m absolutely thrilled to race with these women and to have fun doing what we love together – representing Canada at the Olympics.”

Kristina Walker and Jessica Sevick will also make their second Olympic appearances. Walker rowed to a tenth-place finish in Tokyo in the women’s four, while Sevick has transitioned to the women’s eight after racing to a sixth-place finish in the women’s double sculls at Tokyo 2020. The Canadian women’s eight made a strong statement at the 2024 World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland, winning gold with a dominant performance over the United States and Great Britain.

The Canadian women’s lightweight double sculls crew, Jenny Casson and Jill Moffatt, punched their tickets to Paris at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, when they finished fourth. Casson and Moffatt recently concluded their World Cup season with a fourth-place finish in Lucerne, Switzerland, leaving the duo even more focused on reaching the podium in Paris.

“It feels really special to be officially nominated for my second Olympic Games with Jenny,” said Moffatt. “Jenny and I are such different athletes than we were in Tokyo, so I’m looking forward to experiencing this regatta as the best versions of ourselves. Our coach, Jeremy Ivey, has been integral in getting us to where we are today, and I look forward to the three of us taking on the world in Paris.”

Jacob Wasserman, a former hockey player and a survivor of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018, will be making his Paralympic debut after only his first full international season competing in Para rowing.

The 24-year-old tried out Para ice hockey and adaptive water skiing before finding Para rowing in October 2022. A year later at the 2023 national championships, he earned gold in his category.

In March, Wasserman won a silver medal in the men’s PR1 single sculls race at the Continental Qualification Regatta in Rio de Janeiro. Only the top finisher earned a quota spot for their country for this summer’s Paralympic Games, but through quota reallocation Canada received a spot.

“It feels like a bit of a dream,” said Wasserman. “My whole life I have wanted to be a professional athlete and compete against the best in the world. I’m extremely excited to have this opportunity to represent Canada. I think this will be a great opportunity to learn and develop further.”

“A massive congratulations to Jacob for being nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Team,” said Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. “To make the Paralympic Games so early in his Para sport career is a sign of his skill and commitment. His future in sport is definitely bright and I know all of Canada will be cheering him on as he races in Paris.”

With 43 medals, rowing is one of Canada’s most successful Olympic summer sports, with a tradition of winning dating back more than a century to St. Louis 1904. In Para Rowing, Canada won bronze at the 2016 Paralympic Games in the PR3Mix4+ (formerly LTAMix4+) event.

“I’m very proud of all of the athletes and the team behind them to get them in position to be successful in Paris,” said RCA’s High Performance Director, Adam Parfitt. “Each athlete has had their own journey to get them to this point and it’s a testament to their commitment and dedication to achieving success in Paris. The whole rowing community and nation is behind them!”

‘’Team Canada’s rowers embody excellence, team spirit and Canadian pride, by not only enriching our Olympic legacy but also captivating the hearts of all Canadians with their power and perfect synchronization. I have no doubt that these athletes will carry our nation’s colours with inspiring determination in Paris,‘’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission.

Rowing will take place at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

Team Canada’s rowing team for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games also includes the following alternate athletes, coaches, and support staff.

Alternate Athletes:
Kristen Siermachesky (New Liskeard, Ont.) – Alternate Athlete
Cassidy Deane (Whistler, B.C.) – Alternate Athlete

Coaches
Tom Morris (Perth, Australia) – National Team Coach
Jeremy Ivey (St. John’s, Nfld.) – National Team Coach

Support Staff
Lindsey Brown (London, Ont.) – National Team Coordinator
Laurence Côte (Baie-Comeau, Que.) – National Team Coordinator
Jordan Clarke (London, Ont.) – Physiologist
Taylyr Dickinson (Toronto, Ont.) – Para Rowing Lead
Christie Gialloreto (Victoria, B.C.) – Mental Performance Consultant
Jenn Massingham (Cobble Hill, B.C) – Lead Therapist
Adam Parfitt (Victoria, B.C.) – Team Leader
Kaity Szabo – (Sarnia, O.N.) – Athletic Therapist
Steven Joseph – (Lethbridge, A.B) – Physician
Jon Rose – (Nanaimo, B.C) – Equipment Coordinator

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Paris Olympic roster can be found here.

The latest Team Canada Paris Paralympic roster can be found here.

The post Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Team Unveiled appeared first on Rowing News.