Silver lining for rowers, heartbreak for Warner

PARIS – Canada’s women’s 8 rowing squad whitethorn not person defended its Olympic title, but it pulled together erstwhile it mattered astir and came distant pinch a metallic medal.

There was nary metallic lining for Damian Warner’s title defence. The Canadian decathlete fell retired of badge contention erstwhile he deed nan barroom 3 times successful nan rod vault, dropping him from 2nd to 17th pinch 2 events to go.

Day 8 sewage disconnected to an eventful commencement for Canadian athletes astatine nan Paris Games connected Saturday, and Canada’s women’s shot quarterfinal lucifer against Germany, Felix Auger-Aliassime’s bronze-medal tennis showdown against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti and Summer McIntosh’s return to nan excavation ensured nan play would continue.

The rowing silver, Canada’s 12th badge of nan Games, accrued Canada’s streak to 8 days connected nan podium since medals started being awarded aft nan opening ceremony. Canada’s champion opening badge streak is 9 days, group astatine nan 2016 Rio Olympics.

The Canadian rowers vanished pinch a clip of 5 minutes 58.84 seconds astatine Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, down golden medallist Romania which vanished successful 5 minutes 54.39 seconds.

Canada recovered itself successful a tight conflict pinch Britain for 2nd pinch 500 metres to go, but was capable to clasp disconnected its rival to declare silver.

The Romanian squad put connected a ascendant performance, starring for three-quarters of nan title and finishing 4 seconds successful front.

Rower Avalon Wasteneys of Campbell River, B.C., said nan eights squad had a “tough fewer years” aft winning nan golden badge astatine nan Tokyo Games, including galore changes to nan team, but managed to travel together astatine nan correct moment.

“At nan extremity of nan time it was each astir belief,” she said. “We went retired connected that people and we knew that we were going to springiness our champion imaginable title we could do, connected nan time it mattered.”

The 34-year-old Warner, from London, Ont., was sitting successful 2nd successful nan decathlon pinch 6,428 points, 72 down Germany’s Leo Neugebauer, aft 7 events. He dropped to 17th aft failing to people successful nan rod vault.

Warner was looking to take sides his Olympic title from nan Tokyo Games successful 2021, wherever he had group an Olympic grounds pinch 9,018 points.

Warner was looking to subordinate American Bob Mathias (1948, 1952), Great Britain’s Daley Thompson (1980, 1984) and American Ashton Eaton (2012, 2016) arsenic nan only two-time Olympic golden medallists successful nan men’s decathlon.

Canada had precocious hopes for different decathlon badge heading into nan Paris. But defending world champion Pierce LePage pulled retired soon earlier nan Games began to attraction connected his betterment from a herniated disc, and Warner’s badge bid ended successful heartbreak.

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Elsewhere connected nan track, prima sprinter Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., moved connected to nan semifinals of nan men’s 100 metres astatine nan Paris Olympics.

De Grasse, who won bronze successful nan arena astatine nan past 2 Games, vanished 3rd successful Heat 7 pinch a clip of 10.07 seconds.

In gymnastics, Ellie Black of Halifax vanished sixth successful nan women’s vault successful what could beryllium her last Olympic event.

Black, competing astatine her 4th Games, posted an mean people of 13.933 complete 2 vaults to decorativeness down medallists Simone Biles of nan United States, Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and Jade Carey of nan U.S. Vancouver’s Shallon Olsen was eighth.

Later Saturday, Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime looked for his 2nd tennis bronze of nan Games erstwhile he faced Musetti. Auger-Aliassime and Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski claimed nan mixed doubles bronze connected Friday.

Canada looked to proceed its awesome tally successful women’s shot successful a quarterfinal showdown pinch Germany successful Marseille. The defending-champion Canadians overcame a six-point punishment from FIFA to beforehand to nan knockout stages.

And McIntosh was group to aquatics successful nan women’s 200-metre medley final. The 17-year-old phenom from Toronto already has 2 golden and a metallic astatine these Games.

This study by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.