Four-man crew’s placing behind even Chile ‘doesn’t make sense,’ says, Rothesay’s Ed Winchester

By Kevin Barrett

Though Ed Winchester (second from right) and teammates Jeff Lay, David Boyce and Ben Storey came in fourth at the Pan American games yesterday, there is some good news. The Rothesay rower's injured back felt fine, he says. Courtesy of Times Globe Photo Services.

The dejected Canadian lightweight men's four rowing team of Ben Storey, left, Rothesay's Ed Winchester, David Boyes and Jeff Lay, right, rest in front of the victorious U.S. boat, background, after missing a medal yesterday in the 2,000-metre event at the Pan Am Games.

Winnipeg - As predicted, Canada came out with all guns blazing in the men's lightweight fours rowing final yesterday at the Pan American Games.

But that great beginning cost them dearly at the end, where Rothesay's Ed Winchester and his fellow Canadian team members Ben Storey, Dave Boyes and Jeff Lay slipped from second to third and then to fourth in the final minute, shattering an anticipated celebration at the finish line.

"With our rowing program and the way we train, this doesn't make sense," said Mr. Winchester of the result, which placed the Canadians behind the United States, Mexico and Chile.

"It's almost like an aberration."

No kidding.

On a day where Canada won at least a bronze in every other rowing final, Mr. Winchester's boat seemed a lock for a spot on the podium.

That high hope withstood despite a poor third- place result in Tuesday's heat, a meaningless run for all five competing crews but one that ultimately foreshadowed the final placings.

The only difference yesterday was that Chile, fourth on Tuesday, caught Canada for third and bumped the red and white maple leaf from the flagpole during the medal ceremony at sunny Lake Minnedosa.

"Before we came here, we thought we had a really good shot," admitted Mr. Winchester, whose team captured a silver medal in a world cup event two weeks ago. "We found that the American A boat was here and we thought it was between us and them. It turns out we weren't properly geared up for it."

The race was the highest profile event that Mr. Winchester has competed in since back surgery last fall threatened to end his competitive career. (He has been writing about his push to recover in occasional front-page articles for the Times Globe.)

His old injury didn't pose a problem yesterday.

"That's a great sign," he said. "My back isn't bothering me at all. I don't notice it. Today, it was just fatigue and we just fell apart technically.

"As far as my back goes, it is more of a worry when I am training three times a day. When you come to regatta sites and prepare for a race, the volume of work comes down a bit and my back feels great."

As was the case in Tuesday's heat, Canada fell behind the Americans early but remained solidly positioned in the medal chase at the 500 metre mark.

Then, with Mr. Winchester barking out the stroke count, the Canadians responded by moving into second place midway through and then closed the gap on the leaders even further by recording the fastest clocking in the third quarter.

Apparently, that exertion cost them big-time.

They hit the wall down the final stages of the 2,000-metre final and were passed by Mexico with 250 metres remaining and nipped by Chile at the finish line.

"We didn't take it lightly but for these countries, it's their Olympics and they really, went for it in the last 50 metres," said Mr. Winchester of the Canadian concentration on the upcoming world championships in St. Catharines, Ont.

"We just didn't have the juice left. I don't like saying it didn't mean anything, but we are focusing on the worlds in a couple of weeks. Last week, we had our hardest week of training with 17 practices in six days. That's not why we didn't race well today, but we are not properly geared for it."

After the slow heats Tuesday, the the pace picked up yesterday, but Canada's time of 6:08.21 fell agonizingly short of the Chileans, who earned their second rowing medal of the games.

The championship boat of Marcus Schncider, Thomas Auth, Paul Teti and William Carlucci were just one of two A level boats the U. S. sent to Winnipeg and it paid off with a gold medal run in 6:02.97.

Yet the most difficult part for the Canadians was seeing Mexico win its first rowing silver of the games and Chile claim its second bronze.

Mr. Winchester and his crew will now concentrate on a Commonwealth event this week in London, Ont. and then prepare for the World Championships, beginning with heats in the eight-man boat on Aug. 22.

'We just didn't have the juice left.' Ed Winchester, Rothesay rower.