PLOVDIV, Bulgaria - Canada came out in front of Australia in a photo finish in the women's eight A final to capture silver at the world rowing championships on Sunday.

The Canadian team finished with a time of 6 minutes 3.05 seconds, just over an eighth of a second ahead of Australia in 6 minutes 3.86 seconds. The United States came in first with a time of 6 minutes 0.97 seconds.

Canada's squad — consisting of Rebecca Zimmerman, Jennifer Martins, Susanne Grainger, Madison Mailey, Stephanie Grauer, Christine Roper, Sydney Payne, Lisa Roman and coxswain Kristen Kit — started in lane two.

At the halfway point, Canada was in fourth before making a run to pass the Dutch team and close in on Australia.

"Going into this A final we had to be mentally tough as we had a lane that was not favoured, so we needed to pull together and commit to that mental strength," said Martins.

"Kit made the call at the 600-metre mark, we all responded and it was an awesome race," she added. "We were a bit shaken after our heat, but we still believed we were better than that. We knew we had another gear that we hadn't shown yet."

The second-place finish, gives Canada's women's eight squad back-to-back silvers at the world rowing championships.

This year's team featured a number of returnees, including Zimmerman, Martins, Grainger, Roper, Roman and Kit.

Grauer, a new addition, said it was a "big honour" to race alongside the veterans.

"They have so much combined experience from previous world championships and Olympic Games," she said.

"They have been my idols and to have an amazing regatta like this really speaks to their leadership on and off the water."

In other results Sunday, Carling Zeeman of Hamilton finished third in the women's single B final behind Australia and New Zealand.

Andrea Proske of Victoria and Gabrielle Smith of Unionville, Ont., came in sixth place in the women's double A final.

Tracy Van Asseldonk also picked up a sixth-place finish in the A final of the PR1 women's single.

On the men's side, the eight team of Matt Buie, Kai Langerfeld, Conlin McCabe, Ben de Wit, Tim Schrijver, Martin Barakso, Dave DeGroot, Jakub Buczek and coxswain Jane Gumley took second place in the B final and eighth overall.

Canada wrapped up the world rowing championships in sixth place with four medals.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2018