Grace VandenBroek Claims Fifth at Worlds After Comeback
Douro-Dummer rower Grace VandenBroek secured a top-five finish in Amsterdam, setting the stage for a bid at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Key points
- Grace VandenBroek and Alizée Brien placed fifth in the women’s doubles at the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.
- The result is the best by a Canadian crew at the event, tying the women’s eight for fifth place.
- VandenBroek, a 26-year-old from Douro-Dummer, is now a contender for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if the pair remains together.
The shell cuts through the Amsterdam water with a quiet, rhythmic hum. Grace VandenBroek and her partner, Alizée Brien, drive the oars into the river, their bodies moving in a synchronized pulse that belies the tension of the moment. It is a physical conversation between two athletes and the current, a dialogue conducted in muscle and breath.
When the A final ends, the result is fifth place. It is not a medal, but for VandenBroek, it is a breakthrough. This is the best performance by a Canadian crew at the 2026 World Rowing Championships, tying the women’s eight. The finish line is a threshold, not a destination. It marks the end of a year defined by doubt and the beginning of a new trajectory toward Los Angeles 2028.
From junior star to senior contender
VandenBroek’s path to this moment has been jagged. She rose quickly as a junior, winning silver in doubles at the 2022 U23 Championships in Italy. Her senior debut followed, a tenth-place finish in a quad in Belgrade. Then came a gap. She did not row at a world championship until last month. The silence was deafening, a void filled by the uncertainty of her place in the national program.
The 2024 season brought a necessary pause. Feeling the weight of commitment, she took the fall off. The break was not just rest; it was a recalibration. She returned to find her fitness had eroded, a stark reminder of the sport’s demands. She was left off the 2025 World Cup team, watching from the shore as teammates competed. It was a painful exclusion, but one she now views as essential preparation.
Finding balance outside the bubble
Away from the water, VandenBroek sought an anchor. She began tutoring at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island, near the national training center. This role pulled her out of the isolated world of elite rowing. It provided a different kind of pressure, a different kind of reward. The balance restored her focus. She found that stepping away from the bubble allowed her to see the sport with clearer eyes.
The doubt never fully left. It was a constant companion, whispering questions about whether the juice was worth the squeeze. Being cut from the World Cup team in May reignited those fears. Yet, she persisted. She ground through the training, hoping the work would speak for itself. The answer came in the form of a new partnership and a renewed sense of purpose.
A partnership forged in speed
The pairing with Brien was not immediate. It happened after selection camp in mid-June. They were given a task: show enough speed to secure a spot at the world championships. For the next two months, they trained with a singular focus. The water became a laboratory for their synergy. They built a rhythm, a shared language of power and timing.
In Amsterdam, they executed. Third in the heats, third in the semifinals, and then the A final. The result was a testament to their preparation. VandenBroek described the experience as rising to the occasion. It was a validation of her choice to stay, to keep grinding, to believe that the story was unfinished. The road to 2028 is long, but the foundation is now solid.
