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Rowers taking care of business at worlds, but set sights on Rio

Two years ahead of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the focus is starting to sharpen for many sports. Part of that mix for Canadian rowing are Victoria competitors Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee in the women’s lightweight double.

Two years ahead of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the focus is starting to sharpen for many sports. Part of that mix for Canadian rowing are Victoria competitors Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee in the women’s lightweight double.

The two battled difficult conditions in their repechage race Tuesday on the Bosbaan in Amsterdam to qualify for Thursday’s semifinals at the 2014 FISA world rowing championships. All racing for the day was called off after that.

“We knew there was a strong headwind and decided to get into our rhythm early, stay with it, and it paid off in the end,” said Jennerich, by phone from Amsterdam.

Only two boats would advance to the semifinals and China and Germany shot out early. Facing elimination, Jennerich and Obee didn’t panic but stayed patient in overtaking Germany to place second behind China and advance to a semifinal race Thursday that will include 2012 London Olympics champion Great Britain and defending 2013 world champion Italy.

“Germany made their choice to try to keep up with China and we stuck it out with our race plan,” noted Jennerich, a graduate of Claremont Secondary.

Savvy racing like that only comes after countless hours spent together in windy and rainy situations on Elk Lake.

“We adjusted based on conditions,” said Stelly’s Secondary-graduate Obee, from Amsterdam.

What makes this year’s success more impressive for the Canadian lightweight double that includes bronze at the Lucerene World Cup last month, is that Obee couldn’t train with Jennerich until the second week of June because Obee was finishing off her school year at the University of Washington after racing with the Huskies.

“We think we can do it [make the podium at the worlds]. There is still a lot of history with this [Jennerich-Obee] partnership from 2011 and 2012,” said Jennerich.

Complete with emotional swings as Jennerich and Obee won the silver medal at the 2011 world championships in Bled only to fade to seventh place at the 2012 London Olympics.

“We want to win the Olympics,” said Obee, about the goal for Rio 2016.

“We get along well. We’re very good friends outside of rowing,” added the UW anthropology major.

The Elk Lake-based Canadian men’s four features three silver medallists from the Canadian eight at the 2012 London Olympics — Rob Gibson, Will Crothers, Conlin McCabe — and promising rookie Kai Langerfeld of Parksville. They are scheduled to race in the semifinals Thursday after qualifying directly out of their opening race and avoiding the repechages.

The men’s four and lightweight double, along with the women’s eight and quad, are right now considered the Canadian boats most likely to medal at Rio 2016.

“I have high expectations of myself,” said Jennerich.

“So I don’t consider that pressure.”

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com