It's Rio all over again at #HOCR52.
A few similarities: HOCR has nearly as many competitors (10,600) as the total number of competitors at the 2016 Olympic Games (11,000). Also, like the Lagoa, we don't recommend drinking Charles River Water.
But the biggest likeness between Rio and the banks of the Charles? Oh yeah, it's the 70 2016 Olympic rowers who are traveling to Boston this weekend to race in the OTHER great race of the year. The athletes hail from around the world, USA athletes like perennial HOCR Champ 1x winner Gevvie Stone, Four of the women from gold medal 8+ and the Paralympic LTA4+ in its entirety, join together with international elites in the likes of the famed Irish O'Donovan Brothers (#podiumpants), M1x Champion Kiwi Mahe Drysdale, and Kim Brennan, the Aussie who took home Gold in the W1x.
Since 2009, the Great Eights have been cruising down the course, showing off their talent, and often gathering gold in the process – this year the men's and women's Great Eights are back and greater than ever. The Women's Great Eight, rowing as Cambridge Boat Club (bow 4), is comprised of Rio Superstars – led by perennial W1x Champ Gevvie Stone, Rio W1x Gold Medalist Kim Brennan, Emma Twigg, Carling Zeeman, Jeannine Gmelin, Magdalena Lobnig, Mirka Kapnova and Sanita Puspere with former Radcliffe coxswain Erin Driscoll. With six of the same oarswomen plus cox as the 2014 Great Eight Crew that took home gold, and coming off the Olympic summer, this crew will press the competition down the race course.
But as the Great Eight works to pass bow #'s 1-3, there will be competition on the hunt for gold – the Super Sweepers Pairs Eight, comprised of four of the six finalist pairs from Rio will be right on their stern at bow 5. USA pair Grace Luczak and Felice Mueller will lead the crew with New Zealand silver medalists Rebecca Skown and Genevieve Behrent, British Gold medalists Heather Stanning and Jessica Eddie, and South African pair Kate Christowitz and Lee Ann Persse rounding out the crew. This crew will give the Great Eight a run for their money as they've been training in sweep boats as opposed to sculling all summer. With the two crews starting consecutively, this will be one to watch…hopefully we'll see some action between the two boats.
The Men's Champ Eights will be no less exciting with a Leander Crew stuffed to the gills with Olympic oarsmen – six of whom are Gold medalists from the GB 8+ and 4- -- pressing the Great Eight down the course. The Great Eight, racing as West End is chock full of hardware with, Dutch Bronze medalist cox Peter Wiersum in the driver's seat and German Silver medalist (M8+, the lone sweeper in the crew) Eric Johnannesen, Croatian Silver medalist (M1x) Damir Martin, NZ Olympic Champion (M1x) Mahe Drysdale, Norwegian Bronze medalist (M1x) Olaf Tufte, Rob Gibson, Australian Silver medalist (M4x) James McRae, Alan Campbell and Julien Bahaian filling out the boat.
Like in the women's race, the Great Eight will be starting at bow 4, with the “other fast eight” Leander at bow 5….those college kids better be ready to see some crews zip by – the early straight stretch at Magazine Beach is the perfect place to do some passing.
The Olympians aren't sticking just to the big boats; six of the top 10 women starting in the Champ Single are fresh from Rio. W1x Silver medalist Gevvie Stone vying for her 7th HOCR gold, with British Silver medalist (W2x) Vicky Thornly, three of the women from the Olympic Championship USA W8+, Lauren Schmetterling, Elle Logan and Emily Regan, plus Rio spare and three time world champion Vicky Optiz all dominating the field.
While the Men's Single field isn't nearly as jam-packed with Olympic champions, Croatian Silver medalist Damir Martin, and Mexican sculler Juan Carlos Cabrera will be in the field led by New England favorite John Graves. Graves, who just missed out on Rio, knows the river like the back of his hand and will have a home-course advantage.
While HOCR is a fun, festival-like regatta, don't doubt for a moment that these oarsmen and women are taking their races if not as seriously as their August races, still with some solemnity. After all, it is their competitiveness that got them to the waters of the Lagoa this summer, and who doesn't want to add more hardware to their collections?
Keep an eye out throughout the weekend for even more Rio rowers. The famed Irish O'Donovan Brothers will be sticking to the boat class they're quite good at in the Men's Champ Double. Charles River sweetheart Andrew Campbell will be racing in the Men's Directors' Quad, and four American women are racing in the Alumni 8+ (likely at a higher rating than some of the rustier reunion crews).
So, if you couldn't make it to Brazil this summer, just head to Boston this weekend for #HOCR52. Practically same, but without Christ the Redeemer watching over the course.
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