Results from RBC National Rowing Championships held Nov. 11-13 at the Welland International Flatwater Centre (WIFC) in Welland, Ont., helped to confirm Gabe Bergen from 100 Mile House, deserves his seat in the men’s eight boat that has qualified to represent Canada at the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games.
Bergen competed in pairs competition with Will Crothers of Kingston, Ont. to win the national silver medal, finishing behind 2008 Olympic men’s pairs silver medalists Scott Frandsen of Kelowna and David Calder of Victoria.
While Bergen does not normally compete in the pairs event at the international level, national championships involves only singles and pairs events as a means of evaluating individual rowers more carefully. That boiled down to Bergen and Crothers rowing against the top crews from the men’s pairs, fours and eights boats in Canada.
Bergen says he was happy with the results at nationals.
“I knew the competition would be tough because everybody was out to prove they deserved a seat in an Olympic boat.”
Bergen says he and Crothers trained a lot as a pair last year and it seemed to go well from the beginning.
“We work well together on the water because he makes my job easy by steering straight and setting a good rhythm, which allows me to focus on matching his drive through the water.”
