Canadian women's 8 rowing team powers to gold at World Cup in Switzerland

The Canadian women's eight rowing team are the reigning Olympic champions – and they're showing why they're a threat to repeat.

The team won gold on Sunday at a World Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, an event that served as an international tune-up ahead of the Paris Games. It also served as exercise in resilience for the Canadians, who overcame a late lineup change to score the win.

Jessica Sevick, Caileigh Filmer, Maya Meschkuleit, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Kristen Siermachesky, Sydney Payne, Kristina Walker, Abigail Dent, and coxswain Kristen Kit powered their way to the finish line in six minutes and 4.47 seconds.

Great Britain took silver in 6:05.57, while the U.S. (6:08.77) claimed bronze.

WATCH | Canada claims gold in women's 8 final:

Canada claims 8's gold at World Rowing Cup race in Lucerne

6 months ago

Duration 7:39

With a winning time of 6:04.47 Canada's women's eights rowing team paddled to a gold medal Sunday at the world rowing cup race in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Siermachesky, the team's spare, stepped into the boat due to an illness suffered by Avalon Wasteneys. That switch also required Dent to move up to the stroke seat.

"We embraced the last-minute changes and used it to our advantage," Dent said in a media release. "The boat stuck to the rhythm from stroke one and never backed down, staying calm, cool, and collected right to the end."

WATCH | Canada's women's 8 to defend Olympic title in Paris:

Canada's women's 8 rowing team qualifies for Paris Olympics

1 year ago

Duration 7:51

The Canadian team finished fifth with a time of 6:07.15 at the Rowing World Championships race in Belgrade to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Also in action in Lucerne was the women's lightweight double of Jill Moffatt and Jennifer Casson. The duo will also wear the Maple Leaf in Paris but finished just off the podium in their final on Sunday.

Moffatt, of Bethany, Ont., and Casson, of Kingston, Ont., crossed the line in 7:03.43, finishing fourth overall.

Great Britain won gold in 6:54.83, followed by New Zealand (6:57.68) and the U.S. (7:01.37).

Despite missing their stated goal of making the podium in Lucerne, Moffatt said she's still confident ahead of the Summer Games.

"We are definitely going to come home and really analyze where we can make strides forward to Paris," Moffatt said. "We still believe we can podium at the Paris Olympic Games and will be putting the pieces together to do that."

Both the women's eight and Moffatt and Casson qualified for the Summer Games at last year's world championship in Belgrade, Serbia.