ORC crews win eight Royal Canadian Henley Regatta gold medals
ORC senior and junior competitive crews brought home four Henley gold medals on the weekend to add to the four Henley golds that the ORC’s masters women won on July 31, as the 134th Royal Canadian Henley Regatta week of racing wrapped up.
The ORC’s senior women won in the big boat events of the U23 lightweight women’s coxed eight and senior women’s lightweight coxed eight. ORC rowers, Hayley Watt and Gillian Cross, also won the U19 junior women’s pair. The ORC men’s crew of Alex Bernst and Sam Garber won the U23 lightweight double.
ORC crews were close to more gold medals with several second place finishes in tight, fast races, including the senior men’s lightweight quad, senior men’s lightweight 8+ and U23 women’s lightweight four.
The week-long regatta in hot and dry conditions this year, is the largest and most challenging summer regatta with qualifying heats early in the week followed by final s on the weekend. More than 2,400 rowers from 137 clubs from across North America compete in the six-day event.
The ORC’s competitive crews will now take a one-week break and then start preparing for the fall club and university racing season.
Congratulations to all our athletes and coaches who competed at Henley and thanks to the friends and parents who supported them during a hot and dry week!