NEWS RELEASE
ROWING CANADA
**********************
Four Canadian crews have been selected to take part in the inaugural World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in China this fall.
From Oct. 25 to 27, crews will take to the water in Shenzhen, China, at the Dameisha International Aquatics Centre to compete in rowing’s newest discipline, which combines barefoot beach sprints with a buoyed open-water slalom course.
The first ever Canadian Rowing Beach Sprints regatta, which was held on Aug. 17 in St. Catharines, determined the selection of the Canadian crews.
Aubrey Oldham (Hamilton) had a strong performance at the regatta and will race in China in both the men’s solo and the mixed double events, joined in the latter by D’Arcy Arends (Utopia). Sarah Pidgen (Orillia) will race in the women’s solo and in the mixed coxed quadruple sculls along with Steve Dmytrasz (Toronto), Mikayla Arends (Ottawa), Lorne Thomas (Georgetown) and coxswain Georgia Greenwood (Mississauga).
“Beach Sprint rowing is an exciting new format of our sport, and we are looking forward to having Canadian rowers take part in the first ever World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals,” said Adam Parfitt, RCA national team operations director. “It was great to see some close finishes and exciting racing at the Canadian Rowing Beach Sprints, especially with the recent success of the Victoria-hosted 2018 World Rowing Coastal Championships and the increase in interest in coastal rowing across the country.”
More information on the 2019 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals can be found at www.worldrowing.com.
**********************
