There are days in the Olympics that become etched in the memory. Today could be one of them for several Island athletes.
Thursday was a big day to set up an even bigger one today for Islanders in rowing, swimming and beach volleyball at the 2016 Rio Summer Games.
Victoria rowers Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee stroked through the water with icy precision and confidence to qualify second overall for the women鈥檚 lightweight doubles final this morning at 4:30 a.m.
After the disaster at the London 2012 Olympics 鈥� when Stelly鈥檚 Secondary and Washington Huskies-grad Obee and Claremont Secondary and UVic Vikes-grad Jennerich failed to make the final after winning silver at the 2011 world championships 鈥� this duo seems to be on beam both mentally and physically in Rio.
鈥淚 feel a sense of calm,鈥� said Obee, heading in.
The Elk Lake-based men鈥檚 four, fourth at the 2015 world championships, qualified second out their semifinal for today鈥檚 Olympic final.
鈥淲e are satisfied that we got the job done, but not happy with the back end of our race,鈥� said crew member Kai Langerfeld of Parksville.
鈥淲e have to keep our composure [today in the final], sit up strong and do what we do best.鈥�
The Canadian women鈥檚 eight 鈥� with Caileigh Filmer and Christine Roper of Victoria and UVic Vikes product Antje von Seydlitz of Terrace 鈥� qualified for their final Saturday by winning their repechage race.
In the Olympic pool, Hilary Caldwell of Victoria swam seamlessly and with quiet but determined purpose in winning her semifinal and qualifying second overall for tonight鈥檚 women鈥檚 200-metre backstroke final. Caldwell was emotional in her post-race CBC interview on TV when answering questions about her former coach Randy Bennett of Victoria, who died last year of cancer at age 51.
Caldwell鈥檚 training mate at Saanich Commonwealth Place, two-time Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane, begins qualifying swims today in his 1,500-metre freestyle specialty. The final is Saturday night and it will be an Olympic career capper closely watched.
On the sands of spectacular but windy Copacabana on Thursday, Jamie Broder of Victoria and Kristina Valjas of Toronto defeated Doaa Elghobashy and Nada Meawad of Egypt 鈥� the latter playing with arms and legs covered and Elghobashy wearing a hijab 鈥� 21-12, 21-16 in straight sets to finish pool play at 2-1 to qualify for the Sweet Sixteen in women鈥檚 beach volleyball.
鈥淲e hope to keep winning,鈥� said Broder, a graduate of Claremont Secondary.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e getting rolling now. We鈥檝e had a lot of matches and experiences, so I think we鈥檙e feeling ready.鈥�
In a quirk of Olympian fate, Broder and Valjas have drawn the higher-ranked fellow Canadians and legitimate podium-threats Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan in today鈥檚 Round of Sixteen.
Not all Island moments Thursday in Rio were celebratory.
The Canadian men鈥檚 field hockey team 鈥� with UVic Vikes products Brenden Bissett, Matthew Sarmento and Keegan Pereira 鈥� again took it on the chin and fell to 0-4 following Thursday鈥檚 4-2 loss to Ireland. It was a game the Canadians needed if they had any hope of moving on to the quarter-finals.
The earlier losses were to field-hockey powers Argentina, Holland and two-time defending Olympic-champion Germany. Ireland was considered beatable.
鈥淲e knew coming in that we had three tough games off the start and wanted to try and steal points from any of those three. We didn鈥檛. So we knew that these last two games [including today against India] were do-or-die for us,鈥� said Sarmento.
Sarmento played four seasons for the UVic Vikes in field hockey after coming to Ring Road with the intention of playing soccer for the Vikes, but failing coach Bruce Wilson鈥檚 fitness test. It was the last fitness test he ever failed in any sport.
鈥淲e knew we were the lowest-ranked team in the pool. In world hockey, every tournament except for the Pan Am region, we are the underdog and we like that role,鈥� said Sarmento.
鈥淏ack home, we are getting more of the exposure we would like [by being in the Olympics]. Obviously, it鈥檚 a niche sport in sa国际传媒, so we鈥檙e really happy we are getting more coverage and support.鈥�
Even in loss there can be gains.
鈥淲e just hope that throughout the next couple of years we continue to get that support and we go from there and try to compete again on the world stage,鈥� said Sarmento.
