TOKYO -- Gabrielle Smith, a McGill University graduate from Unionville, Ont., combined with UBC's Jessica Sevick of Strathmore, Alta., to finish sixth overall in the rowing final for women's double sculls at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo Bay, on Tuesday.

The first Canadians to reach a rowing final at the Tokyo Games, the tandem completed their 2,000-metre race in six minutes, 53.19 seconds, bettering their time from Tuesday's semifinal, when they crossed the line in 7:09.44.

Romania's Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis posted a gold medal time of  6:41.03, while New Zealand's Brooke Donoghue and Hannah Osborne, claimed silver in 6:44.82 and Roos de Jong and Lisa Scheenaard of the Netherlands earned bronze in 6:45.73.

The rowing medal events had been delayed for a day because of bad weather forecasts amid a tropical storm.

Smith, who only started rowing at the age of 18, earned a science degree from McGill in 2017, majoring in cellular biology. She is one of six McGill students or graduates competing at the Summer Games.

Her Olympic events are over, along with Gabriella Doueihy (BSc '21), a recently graduated biology senior from Ehden, Lebanon and a member of the Martlets swim team, who failed to advance past the preliminary heats of the women's 200 freestyle on Sunday.

Other McGillians competing at the Games, are water polo's Joelle Bekhazi (MSc '15) of Pte. Claire, Que. and three fencers, namely Alex Cai, a current biology and anatomy junior from Toronto, Shaul Gordon (BCL/LLB '19, LLM '21), a law school graduate from Richmond, B.C., and Maximilien Van Haaster (BSc '16), a kinesiology grad from Montreal.

In all, some 21 McGillians are directly involved at the Games, including David Paradelo (B.Eng '09), head coach of the women's water polo team and rugby referee Julianne Zussman (BA '08).


SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca