The heat is on

By Emily Sadler, CTVOlympics.ca Staff

After qualifying their boat for the London 2012 Olympic Games, three of Canada's finest lightweight rowers have a new race on their hands: a race for seats.

Veterans Tracy Cameron, 36, of Shubenacadie, N.S., and Lindsay Jennerich, 29, of Victoria, B.C., won their lone World Cup start of the season in early July 2011, gliding to a first-place finish in the women's lightweight double sculls in Lucerne, Switzerland. The stage was set for the two to defend the World title they won in Karapiro, New Zealand last fall.

But shortly after, a rib injury kept Cameron from competing in the lightweight double sculls during the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia. That's when Patricia Obee, 20, of Victoria, B.C., took hold of the oars, rowing with Jennerich all the way to the podium. The duo won a silver medal and qualified the boat for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Since that Olympic qualifying regatta, there has been some buzz about who will be paired up in the boat for the 2012 Games.

Competitive? Absolutely. But as Cameron (who captured bronze with Melanie Kok in Beijing 2008) explains, she's embracing the competition.

"If you hold on to tension, that leads to deterioration of your performance," Cameron said during an interview at the Canadian Olympic Committee Media Summit on Nov. 21 in Mississauga, Ont.

While it'll be disappointing for whichever rower is the spare, the stakes are higher for Cameron, as this could be the veteran's last chance to participate in an Olympic Games.

That's why from now until the official team selection is made in May 2012, Cameron is focusing on her training one day at a time.

"It's not glamorous right now," Cameron said. "Right now there's no magic. … It's just taking care of the little details that make sure you're keeping yourself healthy."

She's saving the magic for the Games.

And while much of her inspiration is drawn from the competitive tone of the national team, it's also coming from Canada's last big performance on the world stage: Vancouver 2010. Cameron attended the Olympic Winter Games as a spectator and now, as an athlete, she's feeling the effects of Vancouver's magic and the national pride that comes with it.

"I really believe that the energy carried over with us, as the athletes," she said, adding that Canada's summer athletes want to give Canada the same kind of show.

"We feel the support this time," Cameron explained. "We feel celebrated. We feel like Canadians have embraced us as Olympians and that goes a long way."

Fans can look forward to cheering on Canada in several rowing events. The team qualified boats for the men's and women's eights, the men's four, the men's pair, the men's double sculls and the men's and women's lightweight double sculls for the London 2012 Games.

"We are the favourites," Cameron said. "Canada, in rowing, is a top nation and so there's a lot of expectation put on us that we will come home with the hardware."

And as much as she hopes it'll be her in that boat and on the Olympic podium, she's ready for anything.

"No matter what combination ends up going, we're going to represent Canada in the best possible way," Cameron said.

And if she doesn't make it into the boat?

"Then you switch it and become a fan."