Canada's Para rowers power to gold and silver

Todd and Fredrickson are world champions! Hall adds silver
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PLOVDID, Bulgaria – Andrew Todd of Ottawa and Kyle Fredrickson of Victoria won the gold medal in the men’s PR3 pairs Para rowing event and Jeremy Hall of Edmonton added a silver in PR2 singles on Friday at the world rowing championships.

Todd and Fredrickson clocked seven minutes and 12.820 seconds for the victory, well ahead of James Talbot and Jed Altschwager of Australia in second at 7:23.960. Jerome Pailler and Laurent Viala of France were third.

"We had a good race,’’ said Fredrickson. ‘’Today was about executing our race plan which is what we’ve done throughout the regatta. Next year is qualification year and I think we’ll be shifting our focus to the four and adapting our training for that.”

For the PR3 classification, rowers can use legs, trunk and arms and can push a sliding seat. 

Jeremy Hall

In the men’s PR2 singles, Corne de Koning of the Netherlands took the gold in 8:35.890 and Hall saved his best for last with the silver in 8:42.460. Daniele Stefanoni of Italy was third in 8:52.080.

“I’m a little tired but it was definitely worth it,’’ said Hall, who clocked 9:07.030 in his opening heat Monday and 8:51.450 in the repechage Wednesday. ‘’I had a lot of confidence coming into this regatta. Today I really just focused on my race. With 750 meters to go, I saw I was in contention so I emptied the tank.”

In the PR2 classification, rowers use trunk and arms and are unable to use their legs to push a sliding seat. There is strapping around the legs to provide stability. 
Tracy Van Asseldonk of Delta, B.C., advanced to Saturday’s final placing fourth in her PR1 women's single repechage on Friday. 

Todd and Fredrickson will vie for a second medal on Saturday with Victoria Nolan of Toronto, Bayleigh Hooper of Peterborough, Ont., and coxswain Laura Court of St. Catharines, Ont., in the PR3 mixed coxed four final.

More information including videos, streaming, photos, and results are available at: http://www.worldrowing.com/