Photo Credit: NorthIsle.News staff with photos from CBC & campbellrivermirror.com

One Down, One to Go – Campbell River Olympians Pursuing Podium in Tokyo

Canadian woman keep podium in sight

July 26, 2021
VanIsle.News Staff

Triathlete Matthew Sharpe disappointed by finish but rower Avalon Wasteneys keeps dream alive

Campbell River triathlete Matthew Sharpe went to Tokyo with a mission – to help teammate Tyler Mislawchuk race to a podium finish.

“My job was just to keep (Mislawchuk) out of trouble on the swim and bike,” said the 30-year-old athlete in a CTVNews report.

Things went well on the bikes, with the Canadian pair setting the pace and leading the pack for most of the 40-kilometre segment.

The gruelling 1.5 km swim had a shaky start, causing them to fall back slightly. However, coming out of the water to the run transition, they were still in the mix. Mislawchuk was in 9^th, 11 seconds off the lead, and Sharpe was 6 seconds behind his teammate. By the time they set off on the 4-km run, Sharpe was spent and quickly fell off the back of the pack, finishing 49^th while Mislawchuk battled cramps and ran to a 15^th place finish overall.

Sharpe, who competed in his first-ever triathlon in Comox when he was 9, was disappointed but still thrilled to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.

“We came here with a mission of winning a medal, it just didn’t happen today. But that is sports, and it was a privilege to have the opportunity to do something great,” Sharpe said in an Instagram post following the race last Sunday.

Sometimes, it’s just not your day at the races.

Meanwhile, another Campbell River Olympian, Avalon Wasteneys, hopes for better luck as a member of Canada’s women’s eight rowing team. So far, so good. On July 23, they rowed to a second-place finish behind New Zealand in the first heat of their event. Tomorrow they face the formidable British and Chinese teams. Hopes are high for the 23-year-old University of Victoria rower. In 2019, she helped propel her team to a 4^th place finish at the World Championships in Austria.

Before the opening ceremonies, Wasteneys and her teammates spent two hard weeks at a pre-Olympic training camp in Japan preparing to race for Canada.

“Enjoying our last few days of training before we get to race with maple leafs on our oars!” she said in an Instagram post, before blacking out social media to focus on the Olympic podium.