LONDON, ON — For the Western Mustangs rowing program, Fanshawe Lake is more than just a training ground; it is where thousands of early-morning kilometres are logged in pursuit of national and international excellence. From August 13 to 15, 2026, that familiar water took center stage as London hosted the 2026 FISU World University Rowing Championships. Marking the first time the global collegiate showcase has ever been hosted on Canadian soil, more than 300 top-tier student-athletes from over 20 countries converged on the Forest City.

Highlighting the 34-athlete Canadian roster were a contingent of six current and former standout rowers representing Western University. Racing on their home course, these local rowers brought elite skill, leadership, and local pride to Team Canada's campaign.

"It was incredible to see our Mustangs compete at the highest level. Incredibly inspirational people and the leaders of our varsity team." said Mustangs Men's team Head Coach Dan Bechard. "It was just unbelievable to see everyone work together to make this a true international event."



Bechard also served as chair of the local organizing committee for the event.

"We want to thank all of the volunteers, sponsors, alumni and supporters for their tireless efforts to make this event happen," said Bechard "We had some incredible support from our administration as well as multiple levels of government and partners that allowed us to make the necessary upgrades to our boathouse, finishing tower and the course overall which led to us being able to bring this incredible event to London and we can't thank them enough,"

Aidan Hembruff & Oliver Baker – Men's Four (M4-)

A veteran presence in the purple and white, Aidan Hembruff & Baker stepped onto the international stage as a key anchors for Canada's Men's Four (M4-) crew. Their boat finished 2nd in heats with a time of 6:12.91 which put them into the A final on Saturday. During the medal race, Hembruff & Baker, along side Simon Whittaker and Gabriel Dyer held the bronze medal position throughout the 2km race and secured the 3rd place spot on the podium for one of Canada's two medals on the day with a final time of 6:11.32.

"Bringing home the bronze makes me feel so proud to have represented Canada, as well as Western, on the international stage. This is my first international medal and to achieve that on a home course is incredible meaningful." said Hembruff

"It is incredibly exciting for Aidan and I to both be earning our first international rowing medal together. Having trained with each other the last 3 years, we were excited to be in the same boat this summer." said Baker. "I'm deeply thankful for all the support my Western coaches and teammates have provided over the years, since it has led me to where I am today. My family flew up from NS to watch as well, which was very special to me. Some family from Quebec were also able to make it, which means more to me than they know. I love this sport and can't wait to see where it takes me next."

Kira Mels-Williams – Women's Eight (W8+)

Rowing in the flagship boat of the regatta, Kira Mels-Williams took her place in Canada's Women's Eight (W8+). The crew brought massive power to the lake on Friday's preliminary races, feeding off the energy of the home crowd lined along the shore. In the preliminary race Mels-Williams and the crew finished 3rd with a time of 6:31.84. In the medal round they fell just short of the podium in fourth at 6:33.99.

"Our women's eight race will always stand out to me. After three months of early mornings, sacrifices, and bringing together eight athletes with different experiences and rowing styles, we were incredibly proud to race on the international stage. Missing the podium by just a few seconds was heartbreaking, the race was so close, but I'm most proud of the group of women beside me and everything we accomplished together." said Mels-Williams.

Danielle Hart – Women's Four (W4-)

In the Women's Four (W4-), Danielle Hart anchored a powerhouse lineup alongside athletes from UBC and Toronto. Known for her strong drive phase and steady blade work, Hart played an integral role in setting the tone for the Canadian boat during Thursday's opening heats. Her transition from standard collegiate racing to the international FISU stage was seamless, reflecting the elite caliber of training fostered within Western's women's rowing program.

"It was such a cool experience getting to race internationally on my home course. I feel so honoured to have gotten the opportunity to represent Canada on home soil, especially in my hometown! In the past, Fanshawe lake has been known for its unforgiving white-capping waves, but we were blessed with amazing conditions this week which I'm so thankful for!" said Hart

Kyland Mels-Williams – Men's Eight (M8+)

Mels-Williams and the Men's eight raced to a 5:51.35 time in the preliminary race, just behind the Netherlands. In the medal round all teams stepped up their performance as the Canadians improved to 5:46.14 but the other competitors followed suit and Canada stayed in 4th place.

"A notable experience from this weekend was in the A Final for the Men's 8+, we were neck and neck with the Netherlands to the line with a photo finish losing by 0.2 seconds. Having left everything out on the course, I was able to get off the water still smiling knowing we did everything we could to perform at our best." said Mels-Williams.

Gabby Yarema – Women's Single Sculls (W1x)

An alumni of the program from 2020 through 2024, Yarema represented Canada in one of the most grueling boat classes on the program, tackling the Women's Single Sculls (W1x). She raced a time of 8:04.49 in the heats, 8:02.63 in the semi-finals and then 7:53.99 in the finals, finishing 4th.

EVENT RESULTS

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Italy	4	2	5	11
2	Germany	2	1	2	5
3	Netherlands	2	1	1	4
4	Great Britain	1	6	0	7
5	Canada	1	0	1	2
5	Spain	1	0	1	2
7	USA	0	1	0	1
8	Japan	0	0	1	1

Full details including event results, photo gallery and more can be found at rowing2026.fisu.net