WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Conal Groom (Northford, Conn.) defeated Adam Holland (Philadelphia, Pa.) in the third and decisive final of the men's single sculls Sunday morning at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Rowing at Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J.. The victory earned Groom the right to compete at the Olympic Qualification Regatta next month in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Groom, rowing for Pocock Rowing Center, and Holland, rowing out of Harvard University Boat Club, raced neck-and-neck the entire way down the 2,000-meter course until Groom pulled out the victory in the final few strokes. Groom clocked a 7:09.65, while Holland stopped just before the line. Defeated, the Harvard University graduate drifted across the finish line 10.36 seconds behind Groom.
Groom joins the winners from yesterday's finals in the women's single sculls, women's double sculls, and lightweight men's double sculls. The winners, however, still have some work to do in order to qualify for the Olympic Games. In these four events, the U.S. did not earn automatic qualification slots for the Olympics at the 2003 World Championships. Therefore, the trials' winners have to qualify for the Games at the Olympic Qualification Regatta June 13-16 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Groom will have to finish in the top three at Lucerne in order to qualify for the Games.
The NSR's and the Olympic Trials are sponsored by the National Rowing Foundation as part of their support of the 2004 Olympic Team.