Weekend Roundup: First 3×3 title of 2023, Canadian crews crowned champions at Henley Royal Regatta

Team Canada athletes were competing with national pride in mind over the Canada Day weekend.

Heading into the holiday, Canada’s top 3×3 team came through with their first tournament title of the year. A couple of Canadian crews were victorious at the historic Henley Royal Regatta on Sunday while Mike Woods got off to a great start at the Tour de France.

Here’s a quick look at what you may have missed.

3×3 Basketball: Canada wins Women’s Series title in Poitiers

In just their second appearance on the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series this season, the Canadian team of Kacie Bosch, Paige Crozon, Katherine Plouffe, and Michelle Plouffe claimed their first title of the year. As the top seeds, they went undefeated in Poitiers, France, culminating in a 17-16 victory over number two China in the final.

READ: Team Canada wins FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series in Poitiers

Katherine Plouffe was named tournament MVP as she led the series stop in player value. She scored 24 points in Canada’s five games. Crozon and Bosch will be joined by Samantha Cooper and Carly Rachel Ahlstrom for the Women’s Series stop in Fribourg, Switzerland on July 6 and 7. The Plouffe sisters will return for the Bordeaux stage taking place July 19 and 20.

Rowing: Two trophies for Canadian crews on the Thames

Team Canada’s women’s rowers showed why they’re world class by earning two trophies at the Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames in England this weekend.

The women’s eight crew of Morgan Rosts, Kirsten Edwards, Alexis Cronk, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Sydney Payne, Jessica Sevick, Kristina Walker, Avalon Wasteneys & coxswain Kristen Kit took the victory in the Remenham Challenge Cup while sporting the colours of the Maple Bay Rowing Club. It’s Canada’s first win in the event since 2015.

Usually a lightweight double sculls crew, Jill Moffatt and Jenny Casson earned the victory in the Stonor Challenge Trophy, which was an open weight event. In the head-to-head final, they triumphed over a British heavyweight crew by more than two boat lengths on the 2112-metre course.

The Canadian men’s eight, also representing the Maple Bay Rowing Club, finished as the runners-up in the Grand Challenge Cup final. The entire Canadian team will be back racing in red and white later this week as they head to World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Road Cycling: Grand start for Woods at Tour de France

Mike Woods finished fifth and sixth in the first two stages of the Tour de France. That had him ranked seventh in the general classification, 22 seconds back of the leader, after the opening weekend.

Woods is one of three Canadians in the lineup for pro team Israel Premier Tech, along with Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin. Racing will continue all this week until a scheduled rest day on July 10. The 21-stage race will conclude on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 23.

Athletics: Top Canadian contenders keep on rolling

Aaron Brown competed in both Diamond League events held over the weekend, finishing fifth in the 200m (20.44) in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday and fifth in the 100m (10.27) in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday. After placing sixth in that 200m (20.57) in Lausanne, Andre De Grasse was also expected to compete in the 100m in Stockholm, but he withdrew. Earlier in the week, De Grasse had placed third at the Ostrava Golden Spike, matching his season best time in the 100m.

Meanwhile, many top Canadian athletes were competing at home in the Edmonton Athletics Invitational. Camryn Rogers won the women’s hammer throw with a best effort of 76.95m. Sarah Mitton was second in the women’s shot put with her throw of 18.68m. Marco Arop won the men’s 800m in 1:48.95.

Trampoline: Chartier just off podium at World Cup

Jérémy Chartier finished fourth in the men’s individual trampoline event at the FIG World Cup in Santarém, Portugal on Sunday. His final score of 58.770 left him 0.45 points shy of the podium. Two Canadians advanced to the women’s individual final, but neither Sarah Milette nor Sophiane Méthot could successfully complete their routine, as they finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

Golf: Hadwin just misses out in playoff

Adam Hadwin finished tied for second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, coming up just short of winning the trophy in a playoff. After 72 holes, Hadwin was at 24-under-par, along with Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa. Fowler took the victory with a birdie on the first extra hole.

It is Hadwin’s best result on the PGA Tour since he finished second in the 2019 Fortinet Championship.