PRINCETON, N.J. - USRowing is pleased to introduce seven athletes that will compete in three crews at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in September, pending final approval from the United States Olympic Committee.
The team was selected following selection camp held at Community Rowing Inc. in Boston, Mass., and performance at the 2016 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials in April.
"Our team is ready to go," said Tom Darling, USRowing Director of Para Rowing. "Legs, trunk and arms four coach Ellen Minzner selected her crew and, based on time trials, the boat has great speed. All the athletes in the boat have national team experience.
"Our arms and shoulders scullers, Blake Haxton and Jacqui Kapinowski, are getting plenty of water time and are on target to peak in Rio. We are looking forward to great competition in and everyone is fired up and ready to go," Darling said.
2016 U.S. Paralympic Rowing Team
Men's Arms and Shoulders Single Sculls
Blake Haxton (Columbus Ohio)
Women's Arms and Shoulders Single Sculls
Jacqui Kapinowski (Tequesta, Fla.)
Legs, Trunk and Arms Four with Coxswain
Jenny Sichel (c) (Clifton, N.J.)
Dorian Weber (s) (Manhasett, N.Y.)
Zachary Burns (3) (Ann Arbor. Mich.)
Danielle Hansen (2) (Patterson, Calif.)
Jaclyn Smith (b) (Williston Park, N.Y.)
Coaches
Harry Kapinowski, Women's Arms and Shoulders Single Sculls
Patrick Kington, Men's Arms and Shoulders Single Sculls
Ellen Minzner, Legs, Trunk and Arms Four with Coxswain
Support Staff
Thomas Darling, Staff
Ed Moran, Media
Tesse Smole, Team Athletic Trainer
Liz Soutter, Team Leader
All seven athletes are returning senior national team members and two are a returning Paralympians. Weber was part of the four that finished sixth at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, while Kapinowski competed in wheelchair curling at the 2010 Paralympic Games.
Haxton finished fifth at the 2015 World Rowing Championships and fourth in 2014. Kapinowski finished eighth in 2015 and Sichel, Burns, Hansen and Smith were in the boat that won consecutive silver medals at the World Rowing Championships in 2015 and 2014.
The U.S. won a bronze medal in the trunk and arms double sculls at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. For more information about important USRowing dates, #RowToRio, the 2016 Paralympic Games selection process and athlete bios, visit www.usrowing.org.
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