Best and Worst of 2004

row2k Features

January 4, 2005
Rosenbladt, Colburn, Hewitt

The sun sets on 04

Best handiwork of idle hands: ARCO mustache contest
Wildest racing: the two best-of-three olympic trials finals:
- Men's 1x
- Women's 2-
Aquatic wardrobe malfunction; you call it: Penn lightweights vs. Oxford U lightweights
Best regatta t-shirt
Worst regatta get-up
As if we needed reminding: November is Carbohydrate Awareness Month, as proclaimed at Univ. of Minnesota
Most dramatic turn (or straightaway, as it may be): Ottawa RC; honorable mention to PTC for having bow #1
Best homage to Sydney opera house
Best debut: Nova Southeastern, no crew/team/program in 2003, NCAAs in 2004
Best non-Harvard crew at men's Sprints
True Nationals best-case: Harvard, Yale join ira's for 2nd consecutive year
Best late-season turnaround: Brown W8, 4th at Sprints, 1st at Nationals
Best turnaround, bar none: NZ women's 2-, flipped in heats, made A final
Wildest streak: Olympic men's eight - the crew who placed second in pre-Olympic year has won in the subsequent Olympic year for four quadrennials:
- 1991 Canada silver, 1992 gold
- 1995 Nederlands silver, 1996 gold
- 1999 GB silver, 2000 gold
- 2003 USA silver, 2004 gold
Worst nascent streak: men's eight 5-place drop in Olympic year (1999 Gold, 2000 5th [USA]; 2003 Gold, 2004 5th [Canada])
Lightest haul: no US medals from Junior Worlds for first time since 1996.
Most impressive margin: US men's eight, open water at the 1000 in the Olympic final
Closest matched crews, toughest rematch: US and Norway M2x
Best stride up to the plate: NRF's $492,000 commitment
Best stride out of the boat: Harvard frosh bowman at Henley (probably should get "Best socks" as well)
Best back-to-back: the guys in the US M4- from Lucerne
Best Endzone Dance: Rich Montgomery
Worst bugout: Xeno Muller's instant retirement
Worst of the worst of the worst: The Lay Down Sally Robbins affair. Say no more (please...)

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