With no medals given out at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta other than for race winners, thereB次元官网网址檚 plenty of future incentive for the hundreds of rowers who donB次元官网网址檛 cross the finish line first.
Liam Keane, a 15-year-old athlete from Metchosin for whom last weekB次元官网网址檚 Henley races wound up his second full year in the sport, has tasted both victory and defeat.
Rowing for the Victoria City Rowing Club, he was part of the winning under-17 menB次元官网网址檚 eight and menB次元官网网址檚 quad teams at the regatta and was second in the U17 menB次元官网网址檚 double final.
The wins erased narrow VCRC losses last year in the menB次元官网网址檚 eight (by 0.5 seconds) and quad (by two seconds) in his first trip to St. CatharineB次元官网网址檚, Ont. for the regatta, he said.
B次元官网网址淎fter those two losses, (training became all about) get hungry for the gold, get hungry,B次元官网网址� said Keane, a student at St. AndrewB次元官网网址檚 Regional High School in Saanich. B次元官网网址淭he one mindset was to win. Everything really paid off and we were a lot more focused this time. Every stroke I took it was in the back of my mind, B次元官网网址榟alf a second.B次元官网网址� It was pretty sweet winning.B次元官网网址�
Vic. CityB次元官网网址檚 quad boat won by more than 10 seconds, while the eights finished almost seven seconds in front.
In the double final Sunday, Keane and partner Sean Van Gessel crossed the line just 0.8 seconds behind the winners. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the race thatB次元官网网址檚 going to make me hungry for next year,B次元官网网址� Keane said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 always more to reach for.B次元官网网址�
Among other West Shore athletes rowing at this highly competitive international meet, Emma Gribbon was part of the U17 womenB次元官网网址檚 quad 4x winning boat, which captured victory by more than 10 seconds. She was also part of the second-place U17 womenB次元官网网址檚 eight boat that finished about five seconds behind.
KeaneB次元官网网址檚 older brother Patrick, 17, who rowed for Canada at the junior world championships last year, placed second in the U19 menB次元官网网址檚 single final and was fourth in the U23 menB次元官网网址檚 lightweight single.
Amanda MacKenzie was part of the fifth-place U17 womenB次元官网网址檚 quad boat.
VCRC junior coach Scott Swinkles was thrilled with the teamB次元官网网址檚 overall performance at Henley. He said the 34-athlete contingent collected a club-best nine wins B次元官网网址� including a club record-tying four in the junior division B次元官网网址� and finished fourth for the efficiency trophy amongst 137 clubs. Efficiency measures the number of wins divided by the total number of events entered.
B次元官网网址淚t showed thereB次元官网网址檚 quite a lot of strength and depth (in the club) that weB次元官网网址檙e able to take such a large team and do so well,B次元官网网址� Swinkles said.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
