LONG BEACH, CA – Charles Alexander of Fergus, a third-year student at Laurentian University, has won a silver medal at the World Rowing Indoor Championships.
Now in its second year, the world event was held on Feb. 24 in collaboration with the U.S. national championships in the Walter Pyramid stadium at Long Beach State University.
The competition takes place on a series of rowing machines connected to a jumbotron, set up to simulate a 2,000 metre course.
“Essentially, you’re racing a digital boat,” said Alexander, who represented Canada on the water last summer at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Poland, placing 13th overall in the men’s quadruple scull.
At the indoor event in California, he was in the lead for the first half of the race, but was closely challenged by Ward Lemmelijn, the Belgian and European indoor champion.
It was neck and neck in the final 400-metre sprint. Lemmelijn pulled ahead to take the gold in a Belgian-record time of 5 minutes, 50.3 seconds, with Alexander just 0.8 of a second behind.
Cole Guild of the U.S. was 13.4 seconds off the pace for a bronze.
Alexander, 21, started rowing in 2016 with a dream of making it to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. His time was close to a personal best, and just 9.1 seconds off the best time in the men’s open division, which has more experienced rowers.
This summer he will be heading to the under-23 worlds in Sarasota, Florida, and is hopeful of qualifying for the 2019 Pan-Am Games, being held July 26 to Aug. 11 in Lima, Peru.
Alexander rows with the Sudbury Rowing Club and for Laurentian University, where he is studying outdoor adventure leadership.
He is also a member of the under-23 Canadian national team. He is coached by Laurentian head coach Amanda Schweinbenz.
Alexander has been sponsored by the RBC Training Ground program and by Robinson Chrysler in Fergus, and receives funding through Sport Canada’s Athlete assistance program.
“I’m always looking for new sponsorships,” he said.
