Canada's defending-champion women's 8 rowing team to compete in repechage for spot in final

Canada's defending-champion women's eight rowing team will row in a repechage after finishing third in its heat Monday morning at the Paris Games.

The team clocked six minutes 21.31 seconds over 2,000 metres at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, finishing behind Great Britain (6:16.20) and Australia (6:18.61) in Heat 1. Denmark came in fourth at 6:39.30.

Romania came in first in Heat 2, finishing in 6:12.31, followed by the United States with 6:19.00 and Italy with 6:28.47.

The winners of each heat advance to Saturday's final, while the others face off in the repechage on Thursday for another chance at qualifying for the final.

Canada came to Paris as the defending gold medallist.

Coxswain Kristen Kit of St. Catharines, Ont., Calgary's Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Toronto's Sydney Payne and Avalon Wasteneys of Campbell River, B.C., are returning athletes from the victorious eights team at the Tokyo Olympics.

They are joined by Abby Dent of Kenora, Ont., Victoria's Caileigh Filmer, Maya Meschkuleit of Mississauga, Ont., Jessica Sevick of Strathmore, Alta., and Kristina Walker of Wolfe Island, Ont.

Canada has just two boats rowing in Paris after qualifying 10 for Tokyo.

Jenny Casson of Kingston, Ont., and Jill Moffatt of Bethany, Ont., qualified for the semifinal in lightweight women's double sculls after finishing second in a repechage Monday morning.

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