Our women’s Olympic eight has just been named.  After an incredibly hard year of tough training and tight racing amongst the squad, this is a bittersweet day.  For those of us who made the boat, we are thrilled to have achieved the first part of our goal.

At the same time, our training group is just like a family.  It is heart wrenching when the family is split up.  I really feel for our sisters who came so close to their dream.  We are all stronger because of the depth of our group.  In a way, even though only nine make the eight, it is all 15 who made it as fast as it is.  We pushed so hard against each other, it made us all tougher. 

We will no longer be competing against one another, but joining together to take on the world!  We have 43 more days until we get our chance to show how far we’ve come. 

The 2008 US Women’s Olympic Eight is… (pending USOC approval)…

Mary Whipple- the best coxswain ever!  She has coxed the US since 2001 and was my coxswain at the UW when I first started rowing in the Fall of 1998.  Rowing the eight isn’t rowing the eight without Whipple.  This is Mary’s eighth year in the eight.

Caryn Davies- our sweet and graceful, yet ferocious racing 6’4” stroke.  Caryn is a graduate of Harvard and from Ithaca, NY.  She sat 7-seat in Athens and has continued to build her sweet rhythm ever since.  This is Caryn’s fifth year in the eight. 

Caroline Lind- a super strong graduate of Princeton, she has been knocking on the Olympic rowing door since she first started training with the team (when she was still in high-school!).  Just barely missing out on Athens, Beijing will welcome Caroline.  She is a force in the small boats as well as she and teammate Elle placed 2nd and 3rd in the pair at the World Cups this year.  This is Caroline’s fourth year in the eight.

Susan Francia- our team joker who brings so much fun to the boat.  She graduated from Penn where she walked on the rowing team and joined the US group full time in 2005 and has given me a nice fist pound before every race (I usually get to sit behind her).  I now watch the USA on the back of her unisuit and think… United Susan and Anna! This is Susan’s fourth year in the eight.

Elle Logan- our new junior.  At only 20 years old and heading into her sophomore year at Stanford next year, Elle is making her first senior national team as an Olympian!  She is also a great pair rower and won two World Cup medals this year in the pair with Caroline.  Last year, she was a spare at the senior worlds and won bronze in the U-23 women’s eight.  This summer, she is part of the engine room and making her first appearance in the eight.

Anna Goodale- is good.  Really good.  She walked on the rowing team at Syracuse and joined the US group full time in 2005.  She is a trustworthy, strong, country loving teammate and a great artist.  This is Anna’s fourth year in the eight. 

Lindsay Shoop- brings a little southern flare to the team.  From Charlotesville, Va and graduating from Virginia, Shoop joined the US group full time in 2005.  She loves to smile and tell stories.  This is Lindsay’s fourth year in the eight. 

Erin Cafaro- has fully recovered from breaking her rib in April and is still on her way up, up, up.  From Modesto, California, she rowed at Cal and joined the team full time in 2007.  After winning gold last year in the senior four, she will bring her strength and determination to the eight for the first time. 

And…. Anna Cummins.  I made it too!  I feel so blessed to have this opportunity.  It is an honor to row with these incredible women.  Now, on to Beijing!

Portia and I won our Olympic pair trial and are on the 2008 US Olympic Team.  It was an amazing set of races against one of the best pairs.  Many thanks to all of you who were watching on-line (4:40am Seattle time...), and cheering from shore.  We heard all the cheers and really appreciate all of your support.  Thank you all for helping us take the next step towards our Olympic dream!!!

 

US Olympic Trials for qualified small boats, that includes the women’s pair, are finally here.  When Elle and Caroline declined to accept the pair bid after Lucerne, that gracious team first decision sent the boat to Trials.  There are now only four boats entered and whoever wins the best two out of three full 2,000-meter races will represent the US at the Olympics!  It is an exciting time with such great competition.  Please watch the races (if you are in the Princeton area)!  The first women’s pair race is Wednesday, June 11 at 7:40 am EST.  Racing starts at 7:30.  You can follow online by going to either <www.usrowing.org > or <www.row2k.com> .

6/8/08

Two months exactly until the opening ceremonies in Beijing.  Wow.  I can hardly believe it! 

Last week, I had my first 2k race of the season, or should I say, first three races.  Our team was in Lucerne, Switzerland for the second World Cup Regatta.  It was the best showing the US has ever had at a World Cup.  Lucky for me, my racing was the first final of the day so I was able to watch the medal haul and take it all in. 

Here is a quick recap:

-The women’s double came fourth and then accepted the first two positions on this year’s Olympic squad.  Congrats to Ellen Tomek and Megan Kalmoe. 
-The men’s straight four that had never even raced a 2k practice piece together was holding first position across the thousand, but couldn’t quite hold on against one of the toughest fields in the regatta.  They still managed to hold on to the bronze and pushed the usual favorites from Great Britain off the medals dock. 
-The women’s quad holding an all-new crew that had only been practicing together for about two weeks sprinted through the World Champions and earned the bronze.? Silver?
-The men’s quad, the race of the day, won the GOLD!!!  They beat the three time World Champions from Poland.  This crew also had only been together for about two weeks. 
-The women’s eight held off two charging crews, Canada and Australia, and earned the gold! 
-The women’s pair… well that I can go into more detail because I was there. 

Portia and I rowed the pair.  We had two great races to make the A Final.  First we raced the Australian pair that finished fourth at last year’s Worlds.  Then, in our semi-final, we raced New Zealand (2005 World Champions), Belarus (2007 World Champions), and China (6th in 2007, but winning this year’s first World Cup by a hefty margin).  Just as we warmed up for this race, a huge front came in to mix up our conditions.  When we launched for our warm-up, we had a nice tail wind.  Then, as the starting system went off, a massive rainstorm added to the now fierce head wind.  Through the race, I kept thinking, “Portia and I are from Seattle.  This is no problem.”  Top three to the final, and Portia and I came second to China and the World Champions headed to the B-Final. 

We were happy to then have a chance to race against all the top crews, including our amazing teammates, Caroline Lind and Elle Logan.  USA 1 and USA 2 (that was Portia and I) flanked China and the race was off.  We pushed early and held a solid second place through the 1500-meter mark.  Just as we were at the end of our tank, USA 1 put on the moves and had a smoking last 500.  A well fought race by all, the final result was China, USA 1, and USA 2.  I was thrilled to be on the medals dock just .9 seconds shy of the silver. 

Our training trip in Breisach, Germany and week of training in Lucerne, Switzerland were great steps forward to Beijing.  The whole team is now back in Princeton where we will finish up small boat selection this week and have the big boat team selection complete by June 25th.  I wonder what all of the US crews will do with two more months of rhythm?  The World will be watching come Beijing and I know we’ll be ready to perform.