by Erik Dresser, row2k.com
posted on December 1, 2008

The Canadian eight may be the fastest crew of 2008 - will they get your vote for crew of the year?

click images for full-size version

Nomination criteria in 100 words or less:

• Convince row2k that the crew being nominated had an exceptional year or overcame difficult circumstances to come out on top.
• A crew's performance during the 2008 calendar year will be the primary criterion, though previous history will be taken into account.
• As with the Crew of the Week poll, finalists are based wholly on nominations and the "backstory" is often just as important as the actual race result.

• WINNER - Wisconsin Men's Heavyweight Varsity 8+ - Went undefeated through the collegiate racing season to win the IRA Varsity 8 title with six athletes that were college walk-ons. Qualified eight Badgers for U23 crews including the stern three of the champion US Men's Eight.
• Voting Results
• Finalists:
  • Australia Men's Olympic 2- - The pair of Duncan Free and Drew Ginn won Olympic gold over a fiesty Canadian crew to follow up the duo's '06 and '07 World Championships. Ginn had a ruptured disk and partially torn sciatic nerve during the Olympics.
  • Canada Men's Olympic 8+ - Following a disappointing Athens finish, the Canadian eight won Olympic gold in dominating fashion over Great Britain and the United States. The crew consisted of five returners from 2004.
  • Columbia Men's Heavyweight Varsity 8+ - Won the Blackwell Cup for the first time since 1941. Won the Stevenson Cup for the first time since 1963. Made the Grand Final at Sprints and was the only Ivy League crew to qualify for the IRA Grand Final.
  • Cornell Men's Lightweight Varsity 8+ - Following a lackluster regular season, the Big Red won Sprints by open water, then followed that win up by sprinting through Princeton to win their third consecutive IRA Championship. First lightweight crew to win three straight IRA titles.
  • Malvern Prep Boys 4x - Raced undefeated in the United States during the spring season, culminated with wins in the Philadelphia City Championships, Stotesbury Cup, SRA Nationals, and USRowing Youth Nationals. Received the bid for the U23 World Championships as the heavyweight 4x. Raced at the Henley Royal Regatta and were only the second American crew to ever reach the semifinals in that event.
  • Norway Men's Olympic 1x, Olaf Tufte - Tufte, the defending Olympic Champion in single, came off a relatively unsuccessfull quadrennial to win Olympic gold over three time defending world champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand.
  • Trinity Women's Openweight Varsity 8+ - Won the Head of the Charles, New England Championships, and NCAA DIII Varsity 8+ Championship. Was the first DIII school to attempt to qualify for the Henley Women's Regatta and ended up winning the Senior 8+ event. Also nearly qualified for the Remenham Challenge Cup event at Henley before breaking an oar.
  • USA Women's Olympic 1x, Michelle Guerette - Guerette capped off a successful four years by winning the Olympic silver medal in the 1x and gold at the Munich World Cup. The silver medal in Beijing matched the highest American finish in the event's history.
  • USA Women's Olympic 8+ - Won the first Olympic Gold medal for the US Women's Eight since 1984 by winning by nearly a length over defending champion Romania.
• Also nominated: Falls Lake Rowing, St. Joe's Prep, Syracuse Men's V8, USC Men's V8, Old Dominion Boat Club, Oakland Strokes Girls LW8, Duxbury Bay Maritime School, US Men's 2-, US U23 Men's 8+, US U23 Women's 8+, Long Beach Junior Crew, Boston Rowing Club Junior Boys 8+, Stetson Men's LW Four, Community Rowing Girls V8+, Everett Rowing LW Boys 8+, Lake Brantley Rowing