World Rowing Championships: Adaptive Results Summary

ETON, ENGLAND: Canada won two bronze medals - in the double and four - in adaptive events at the World Rowing Championships.

"Last year was a development year and we didn't send any crews to the Worlds," said National Adaptive Coordinator Allison Sheard. "The results today show that this was a good decision. We've positioned ourselves well for Beijing."

The adaptive mixed four (LTAMX4+) was third behind Great Britain (3:28.21) and the Netherlands (3:32.62).

"It was five boats fighting all the way down," said coxswain Emma Ferguson. “It was crazy at the start, but the crew was committed to the race plan and stuck to it until the finish."

Tony Theriault of Victoria, B.C., Karen Van Nest of Mississauga, Ont., Meghan Montgomery of Winnipeg, Man., John Moorcroft of Mississauga, Ont., and coxswain Emma Ferguson of Victoria had a time of 3:35.19. Australia missed out of the medals in 3:35.92 over 1000 metres.

"I could tell it was a fight from (coxswain) Emma's voice," said crew member Van Nest.

In the mixed adaptive double (TA2x), Caitlin Renneson of Ottawa, Ont. and Wilfredo (Papito) More Wilson of Toronto, Ont. also took bronze with a strong finish in 4:30.86. The U.S. and Poland also picked up medals in this event. This medal was especially exciting for this double, since they were the final crew named to this year's Canadian adaptive rowing team.

Shira Golden of Vancouver, B.C., rowing in the arms-only single event, was fourth in 6:25.67.

Jeff Standfield, also of Vancouver, was fourth in 5:56.85 in the men’s arms-only final today. Dominic Monypenny of Australia, last year's World Champion, won in 5:28.87.

Adaptive rowing for people with disabilities is in its first Paralympic cycle after being accepted in the program for 2008.


Left to right: Papito More Wilson, Karen Van Nest, Jeff Stanfield, John Moorcroft, Emma Ferguson, Shira Golden (seated), Meghan Montgomery, Tony Theriault and Caitlin Renneson.