Congratulations to Christina and the U.S. Junior Women!

The bright future of U.S. women's rowing.

Congratulations to Potomac Boat Club’s Christina Bax and the U.S. women’s eight on their silver at Junior World Championships!

PBC senior member Ad Bax's daughter Christina accepts her medal with her teammates in Racice.

From USRowing, August 7, 2010:

The second silver medal for the United States came in the last race of the day. In the final of the women’s eight, coxswain Christine Devlin (Harvard, Mass.), Rosemary Grinalds (Southport, Conn.), Louise Breen (Northampton, N.H.), Madison Lips (Parker, Colo.), Christina Bax (Bethesda, Md.), Marianne Hoeft (New Canaan, Conn.), Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska), Faith Richardson (Wellesley, Mass.) and Carli Goldberg (Sarasota, Fla.) went into the race having advanced directly from Thursday’s heat with an 18-second win.

Great Britain was first off the start, and continued to lead through the middle thousand. Less than a second separated the United States, Germany and Romania at the halfway mark, with the U.S. crew leading the challenge on Great Britain. Despite a strong push from the U.S. in the sprint, the defending world-champions couldn’t quite close the gap on the British. Great Britain crossed the line 3.05 seconds ahead for the gold medal in a 6:24.97.

“We were down at the 500, which we expected,” said coxswain Christine Devlin. “We just found some serious power. There was one point in the second 500 where we had a move for ‘pain barriers.’ We went from five seats down to three seats. That was exciting, and it was a big move for us.”

The U.S. took the silver medal in a 6:28.02. Germany came up with a bronze-medal performance, edging out Romania by 0.66 seconds in a 6:30.21.

Want to see more photos of the women’s eight final?  Dr. Ted Walkley, U.S. Team Physician, took the photos we used in this post and more during the entire event.  Click here to go to Dr. Walkley’s album.

A full reprint of the USRowing report is below.

Women’s Four and Eight Win Silver at 2010 World Rowing Junior Championships

RACICE, Czech Republic – Steady rain persisted throughout the day, but it didn’t stop the U.S. from reaching the podium on two occasions the first day of finals at the 2010 World Rowing Junior Championships. The women’s four and women’s eight crews won silver, the first time in history that the United States has won double medals in sweep events at the World Rowing Junior Championships.
In the final of the women’s four, New Zealand shot ahead off the starting line, gaining half a boat length lead on the field in the first few strokes of the race. Crossing the halfway mark, New Zealand continued to lead the pack, with Australia and Spain close behind. The crew of Chandler Lally (Bryn Mawr, Pa.), Jessica Eiffert (Honeoye Falls, N.J.), Agatha Nowinski (Sacramento, Calif.) and Lucy Grinalds (Southport, Conn.) sat in fourth place at the 1,000-meter mark before making its move. In a dead-on sprint, the U.S. crew overtook Australia with 150 meters to go, finishing less than a second behind New Zealand for the silver medal.

“It was an amazing race,” said three-time junior national team member Lucy Grinalds. “We had a little bit of a rough start, but we stuck to our race plan and really moved through the second 1,000 [meters]. Our goal was to make a huge move and a huge comeback. It was an awesome sprint through the finish.”
New Zealand held on to its lead to win the gold medal in a 6:49.48. The U.S. recorded a time of 6:50.38 at the line, with Australia holding off Germany by a mere 0.36 seconds for the bronze medal.

“They rowed it exactly as we talked about racing it,” said coach Justin Moore. “We knew that Australia was going to have a lot of early speed. It was possible, if we stayed close enough to use our efficiency to our advantage in the last 500. We knew that Spain was going to be fast; we knew that Australia was going to be fast. I was just so impressed because the girls really worked on rowing a very steady first 1,000 meters before committing to change momentum at the 1,100-meter mark. I couldn’t be happier.”

The second silver medal for the United States came in the last race of the day. In the final of the women’s eight, coxswain Christine Devlin (Harvard, Mass.), Rosemary Grinalds (Southport, Conn.), Louise Breen (Northampton, N.H.), Madison Lips (Parker, Colo.), Christina Bax (Bethesda, Md.), Marianne Hoeft (New Canaan, Conn.), Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska), Faith Richardson (Wellesley, Mass.) and Carli Goldberg (Sarasota, Fla.) went into the race having advanced directly from Thursday’s heat with an 18-second win.

Great Britain was first off the start, and continued to lead through the middle thousand. Less than a second separated the United States, Germany and Romania at the halfway mark, with the U.S. crew leading the challenge on Great Britain. Despite a strong push from the U.S. in the sprint, the defending world-champions couldn’t quite close the gap on the British. Great Britain crossed the line 3.05 seconds ahead for the gold medal in a 6:24.97.

“We were down at the 500, which we expected,” said coxswain Christine Devlin. “We just found some serious power. There was one point in the second 500 where we had a move for ‘pain barriers.’ We went from five seats down to three seats. That was exciting, and it was a big move for us.”

The U.S. took the silver medal in a 6:28.02. Germany came up with a bronze-medal performance, edging out Romania by 0.66 seconds in a 6:30.21.

“Our goal this summer was to prioritize the four and to win two medals in sweep, which the U.S. has never done before,” said coach Liz Trond. “Of course we were going for the gold, but we are definitely not disappointed with silver. Winning 13 medals today is pretty awesome.”

In the final of the women’s quadruple sculls, Hannah Solis-Cohen (Northfield, Mass.), Margaret Bertasi (London, England), Alexandria Chrumka (Grosse Point, Mich.) and Sophie Heywood (Tempe, Ariz.) finished sixth. Although it did not reach the podium, the crew recorded the highest finish for the U.S. in the event at the World Rowing Junior Championships. Germany, the bronze medalists at last year’s championships, won the gold medal in a 6:35.65. Ukraine took silver in a 6:39.42, while Belarus crossed third for the bronze medal in a 6:45.28. The U.S. crew was in fifth place through the first 1,000 meters of the course, before dropping back and crossing the line in a 6:55.86.

In semifinals action, the men’s four with coxswain and men’s single sculls qualified for the medal round on Sunday. The crew of Patrick O’Hara (Wilmette, Ill.), John McGrorty (Ambler, Pa.), Jacob Merrell (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Patrick Eble (Fort Washington, Pa.) and Michael Cox (Centerville, Va.) finished second in its semifinal, securing a spot in the final. The U.S. was in sixth place off the start and gradually worked its way through the field by the third quarter of the race. Italy took the lead at 500 meters, and held on to cross first in a 6:24.49. The U.S. posted a time of 6:27.31 in second, while Ukraine edged out Germany by 0.09 seconds for the third qualifying spot. Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand qualified from the second semifinal.

Andrew Campbell, Jr. (New Canaan, Conn.) qualified for the final of the men’s single sculls with a dramatic third-place finish in his semifinal. Germany’s Felix Bach, the defending world champion took an early lead on the field, gaining three boat lengths by the 700-meter mark. Campbell, who competed in the event at the 2009 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, was in third place off the start and rowed nearly even with Czech Republic’s Jakub Podrazil through the body of the race. Vying for second, both scullers brought up the rating to 36 strokes per minute in the sprint, but it was Podrazil who crossed in front by 0.42 seconds in a 7:46.36, with Campbell third in a 7:46.78. Bach won the race in a 7:42.56. The three scullers will meet again in tomorrow’s final, along with Greece, Italy and Slovakia from the first semifinal.

Alycia Daloia-Moore (Bronx, N.Y.) finished sixth in her semifinal of the women’s single sculls. Romania’s Laura Oprea won the race in a 7:54.75, with Latvia, Azerbaijan and Hungary less than two seconds back. Daloia-Moore clocked an 8:14.41 and will now race Hungary, Norway, Switzerland, Lithuania and Slovenia in Sunday’s B final for places 7-12.

Elizabeth Youngling (Westport, Conn.) and Hemmingway Benton (Glencoe, Ill.) won the B final of the women’s pair for a seventh-place finish overall. The U.S. duo was second off the start and pushed past France in the third 500 meters for the lead. Youngling and Benton crossed first in a 7:48.00, with France second in a 7:50.31. Czech Republic followed in an 8:12.72 for third.

In the men’s four, Thacher Dodge (South Salem, N.Y.), Parker Lange (Darien, Conn.), Thomas Stolarski (Weston, Conn.) and Charles Campbell (Darien, Conn.) finished sixth in the B final for 12th place overall. Czech Republic took an early lead, winning the race in a 6:14.84. The U.S. crew crossed the line in a 6:42.43.

The women’s double sculls and men’s quadruple sculls advanced to the C finals following each crews’ respective second-place finish in the C/D semifinals. Susan Greenberg (Westport, Conn.) and Alexandra Zadravec (Fairfield, Conn.) were second off the line and held off Estonia to cross second in a 7:52.34. Croatia won the race in a 7:36.86. In the men’s quad, Graham Anderson (Weston, Conn.), Patrick Donohue (Malvern, Pa.), Max Meyer-Bosse (Westport, Conn.) and Alex Johnson (Seattle, Wash.) led a dynamic sprint, nearly catching the French crew at the line. France won in a 6:09.06, with the U.S. just 0.49 seconds back in a 6:09.55.

Nader Al-Naji (Fairfax, Va.) and Robert Rasmussen (Washington D.C.) finished fourth in the C/D semifinal of the men’s double sculls, and will now race in the D final for places 19-24. Al-Naji and Rasmussen crossed the halfway point in sixth place, but were able to move past Estonia and Croatia in the third quarter of the race. Lithuania won in a 6:39.04, with the U.S. fourth in a 6:47.27.
In total, 679 athletes in 216 crews from 50 nations are represented at this year’s championships. Sunday’s schedule features finals in the men’s and women’s single sculls, men’s and women’s double sculls, men’s pair, men’s quadruple sculls, men’s four with coxswain and men’s eight. For more information, roster and athlete bios, visit www.usrowing.org.

USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing’s Official Suppliers are Boathouse Sports, Filippi, Croker Oars and Rudy Project; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; and its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation. For more information, visit www.usrowing.org.
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PBC Juniors race Saturday in Racice!

Best of luck tomorrow to Potomac Boat Club’s Nader Al-Naji and Rob Rasmussen in the C/D semifinals of the men’s double sculls, and to Christina Bax and her crew as they go for a third-consecutive women’s eight world title for the U.S.!

For the full race schedule (in Racice time), go to http://www.worldrowing.com/medias/docs/media_361927.pdf.

To access the live viewer, go to http://www.worldrowing.com/index.php?pageid=151.

Want to see more photos?  Dr. Ted Walkley, U.S. Team Physician, not only took the photos we used in this post, but will post more online throughout the event!  Click here to go to his album.

Christina (second from left, 5 seat) and her teammates go for gold tomorrow!

RACICE, Czech Republic (USRowing) - Five U.S. crews advanced Friday, despite heavy rain throughout the second day of racing at the 2010 World Rowing Junior Championships. The women’s four, women’s quadruple sculls and women’s eight are set to race for medals tomorrow, Saturday, August 7. In total, seven U.S. boats are headed to either the semifinals or finals after today’s races.

The men’s double sculls duo of Nader Al-Naji (Fairfax, Va.) and Robert Rasmussen (Washington D.C.) finished sixth in the third quarterfinal, and will now race in the C/D semifinals. The U.S crew finished fifth in its heat and second in its afternoon repechage en route to the quarterfinal. In today’s race, France pulled out early, gaining more than three seconds on the field in the first 500 meters and eventually winning in a 6:49.51. The U.S. posted a time of 7:20.35 and will take on Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic and Estonia on Saturday.

Christina (second from left, 5 seat) and her teammates go for gold tomorrow!

The U.S. women’s eight and men’s four with coxswain are back in action tomorrow after winning their respective heats on Thursday. Coxswain Christine Devlin (Harvard, Mass.), Rosemary Grinalds (Southport, Conn.), Louise Breen (Northampton, N.H.), Madison Lips (Parker, Colo.), Christina Bax (Bethesda, Md.), Marianne Hoeft (New Canaan, Conn.), Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska), Faith Richardson (Wellesley, Mass.) and Carli Goldberg (Sarasota, Fla.) will look to win a third-consecutive women’s eight world title. Coming off of a convincing win in its preliminary race, the U.S. crew will take on Czech Republic, Romania, Great Britain, Germany and Russia in the last event of the day.

Watch Potomac’s Juniors in Racice

"I'm so excited to train with some of the best coaches and athletes in the world, and cannot wait to compete at the Junior World Championships this summer," said Christina, Junior Women's National Team Blog at http://usjwnt.blogspot.com/.

Potomac Boat Club’s Rob Rasmussen and Nader Al-Naji (2x), and Christina Bax (8+) race in their respective heats today at the 2010 World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice, Czech Republic (August 4 - 8).

The guys start at 4:06 am in the Junior Men’s 2x, with reps at 9:12 and 9:18 am, and semis on Friday. Christina and her Junior Women’s 8+ race at 7:06 am with reps on Friday at 6:48 am, and finals on Saturday at 9:55 am. All times are East Coast standard time, and provided by proud papa and Potomac Boat Club senior member, Ad Bax.

Nader and Rob at trials in June.

For the full race schedule (in Racice time), go to http://www.worldrowing.com/medias/docs/media_361927.pdf.

To access the live viewer, go to http://www.worldrowing.com/index.php?pageid=151.

Remember, all of our Potomac National Team athletes need our support!  To donate, please click here for more information.  Every little bit helps and all donations are tax-deductible.

Good luck to Rob, Nader and Christina!!!

Support PBC’s National Team athletes!

Update: PBC's Brendan McEwan made it to Belarus and to semis at U23 World Championships, but the team still needs our support!

Every little bit helps … and it’s all tax deductible!

• Click HERE to go straight to your donation options!

In less than a couple of weeks, our Brendan McEwan will represent the United States in the Men’s Single Sculls at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Brest, Belarus (July 22 - 25).  Brendan won his event at trials in June by 3.41 seconds, crossing the line in 6:59.294. He will be joined by Coach Reilly Dampeer, who has done a tremendous job helping him get ready.

And, hey! We’re proud to report again that Rob Rasmussen and Nader Al-Naji are on the Junior National Team roster!  Joined by Coach Deb Dryer, Rob and Nader will be racing in the double at the 2010 World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice, Czech Republic (August 4 - 7).

Crazy kids.  All that energy.  Makes you want to take a load off, doesn’t it?  Well, while you’re sitting there, you’re gonna earn a chance to feel like you’re right there next to the guys when they step up to the winners’ podium … all without leaving your computer!

The charitable foundation created to support our National Team athletes, the Potomac River Sports Foundation (PRSF), figures our team still needs about $7,500 to fund our World Championships effort this year.  Basically, each boat costs about $1700 to rent and transport. The USRowing fee is $1,625 for each athlete. Add another $1300 for coach’s room, board, gear and flight. Well, you get the picture. Being an elite level rower ain’t cheap, folks!

Since we’re pretty sure none of us can cover the entire amount today, tax deductible or not, how about we do this thing together?  Fiddy from her.  A hundy from him.  A couple Gs from you.  And so on.  That way, we’ll all feel like we’re part of it when Brendan, Rob and Nader take those winning strokes across the finish line!

(Of course, if you do throw down the entire $7,500, just don’t tell us, so we’ll all still feel like we did something.  Thanks.)

Okay, so.  Got your credit card ready, PBC?  (Come on!  They need you!  And it’s tax deductible!)  To give using PayPal, click here.

If you would rather pay by check, just make it payable to “Potomac River Sports Foundation,” and then mail it to Paul Knight at the following the address:

Paul Knight, Treasurer
Potomac River Sports Foundation
c/o Nossaman LLP
1666 K Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20006

By the way, you can give to the PRSF all year long!

Best of luck to Brendan, Rob, Nader, Reilly and Deb! GO, PBC!!!

Stay tuned for a charitable group hug mid-August.