Rio 2016: Patricia Obee and Lindsay Jennerich win silver in women’s double sculls

Canadian rowers Patricia Obee and Lindsay Jennerich have won silver in the lightweight women’s double sculls in Rio.

The medal marks Canada’s first podium finish in Olympic rowing.

The Canadians showed off their impressive finishing power during the race. Obee and Jennerich were in fifth place through the first 500m of the race, but made up ground over the next 500m to move into third. In the last quarter of the race, the duo increased their pace to finish second in 7:05.88.

Ilse Paulis and Maaike Head of the Netherlands won gold in 7:04.73 while China’s Huang Wenyi and Pan Feihong were third in 7:06.49.

Jennerich, 34, and Obee, 24, have been waiting four years to redeem themselves after they failed to advance to the final in London.

They were fourth at the 2015 world championships after winning silver in 2014, but won gold at a World Cup in May in a race featuring an Olympic-calibre field.

In Friday’s early race involving a Canadian, Carling Zeeman of Cambridge, Ont., finished fourth in her women’s single sculls semi, just missing out on a spot in the final. She will race in Satuday’s consolation race.

Canada’s women’s eight will take part in Saturday’s final.

– With files from The Canadian Press