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Canada qualifies two more boats for Tokyo at worlds, Todd and Fredrickson defend title

LINZ, Austria — Canada qualified two more boats for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Friday at the world rowing championships.

Canada's women's double squad and women's singles rower Carling Zeeman advanced to their respective finals, earning Canada an Olympic spot in those events in the process.

Also Friday, Andrew Todd and Kyle Fredrickson defended their world title in the PR3 men's pair, while Jeremy Hall took silver in the PR2 men's single.

The women's double team of Andrea Proske of Langley, B.C., and Gabrielle Smith of Unionville, Ont., finished second in their A/B semifinal to advance to Saturday's final after a photo-finish with the Netherlands. The top three teams from each semifinal advanced and earned an Olympic spot.

"It's pretty surreal I don't think it's sunk in yet," Smith said. "We went out there to just race our best race and if we didn't make (Olympic qualification), we would have had another opportunity in the B final."

Zeeman, from Cambridge, Ont., finished third in her A/B semifinal and will race for a world title on Sunday.

"This means everything," Zeeman said. "It's the hardest thing I've ever done. You have one chance at this and you don't want to mess it up."

Todd, from Thunder Bay, Ont., and Kyle Fredrickson, from Duncan, B.C., clinched the PR3 men's pair win in seven minutes 16.42 seconds, with Australia crossing second and France rounding out the podium.

"It's pretty cool to win again," Todd said. "We felt like we had a target on our backs coming into this final, but we pulled it off and it's really special. I have had a year of illness and injury to the point where I was actually in a cast right up until the day we left to come here."

The world championships mark the first opportunity for the Canadian Para crew to compete together this year.

"It was harder this year to accomplish what we did for sure," Fredrickson said. "It was a mentally tough year not being able to race and we knew the Aussies were going to be fast. We just took it 15 strokes at a time."

Hall, from St. Paul, Alta., had his work cut out for him in the PR2 men's single A final, racing against Corne de Koning of the Netherlands, who holds the world's best time in the event. Hall closed the gap on de Koning but would ultimately settle for silver in (8:42.78) behind the Dutch rower (8:47.44). Italy took the bronze medal.

Hall races again Saturday in the PR2 mixed double with partner Jessye Brockway. This pairing will be seeking one of two remaining 2020 Paralympic qualification spots.

"It's been a tough week doubling up," Hall said. "It's been up and down emotionally. This race has been a tougher one that usual to prepare for, but I think I was able to focus and execute a great race out there."

Ellen Gleadow of Vancouver finished fifth in the lightweight women's single A final, while Aaron Lattimer of Delta, B.C., finished sixth in the men's lightweight single A final.

The men's pair crew of Conlin McCabe (Brockville, Ont.) and Kai Langerfeld (Vancouver) raced finished fifth in their A/B semifinal to battle for one of five remaining Olympic qualification spots in the B final.

The Canadian Press

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