Are we all kidding ourselves Michelle's Silver and Tuffe repeat gold are one and two. You pick the order. We are so big boat focused that we can't see the forest for the trees
I don't understand how a crew that was eliminated in the semifinal at Henley (Malvern) could come this close to winning crew of the year, not to mention being voted over Olympic medalists.
I understand how a crew that was eliminated in the semifinal at Henley (Malvern) could come this close to winning crew of the year, not to mention being voted over Olympic medalists. Let's face it, there are 5 boats from the Olympics and 4 boats from colleges, but only one boat from a high school. Therefore they are unique. Not to mention they won every race possible for North American high school rowing with the exception of Canadian Schoolboys (Which was won by Conestoga High School, another US high school located extremely close to Malvern). I think they deserve every vote they have received because of their accomplishments, even if that means they did not compete in the Olympics (ineligible) or won at IRAs or Easterns (again, ineligible). Also, they represent the Philadelphia rowing community and I believe Malvern and their competition in the region continue to prove it is still the premiere and most competitive area for high school rowing in the country.
i think the earc lightweights are the one of the most competitive leagues in the US, with that in mind cornell gets my vote for getting IRA gold 3 years in a row, remarkable
It is actually really sad for me to see all of the Olympic medals in small boats so far down on this list. I mean, congratulations everyone for an amazing season, but I think this very clearly reflects one of the major flaws of the USA Rowing community, which is that there really is no support or recognition for elite small boat rowing. Internationally the singles, pairs and doubles are the most competitive--even training with the best right now I cannot fathom the talent it would take to win a medal in the single at the Olympics.
My vote goes to Tufte, back to back Olympic Golds in the single (and that's hard, because it's no secret how much I love Mahe).
OK Whose mother wrote "Go Boys"!
Cudos to all the teams but the challenge to a high school team is staying being committed to rowing which at Malvern means lifting 5 days, being on the river 6 days, going to school 5 days a week, 7 hours a day, plus studying - you have more time to your sport in College. Nonetheless -- congrats to all but we are pulling for Malvern.
It's got to be the Aussie pair, considering Drew Ginn could barely walk due to a bad back the way they won the gold is staggering!
From a Brit point of view it's a shame not to see the LWT M2X nominated!
Olympic Gold is awesome in any event, but I think crew of the year should go to a boat that did something awesome and unexpected. Let's face it, we knew the women were going to be first or second, and we knew the Candians were good for a medal. I think Tufte would deserve the title had he beaten a healthy Mahe (the guy was being sustained via IV hours before the final). Wisco had what, like 6 walk-ons in that boat. What they did is beyond impressive, no one would have picked this team as future national champs 4 years ago. Also, what Cornell did deserves some recognition too, that was impressive; take it from someone who was in the lead at the IRA with less than 500 to go. My vote went to the Malvern quad though, I just think the team deserves some recognition because it's a small program with no funding that has put athletes in virtually every top rowing school in the country.
P.S. I'm gonna throw a shout out to the Aussie pair too, those guys can drink. Anyone remember Shooters in BJ?
For the record, Olympic Gold Medalists Susan Francia, Anna Cummins, Anna Goodale, Lindsay Shoop and Erin Cafaro were all walk ons.
As was Olympic Silver Medalist Michelle Guerette.
Don't tell me that the Wisco men deserve this because they were walk ons. If they'd lined up next to the CAN M8+ and beaten them... then we can talk some about miraculous happenings with walk ons. And that's coming from a walk on.
And pardon me: but it's much easier to say "I knew they were going to win" in hindsight, don't you think? If you think the US W8+ or the CAN M8+ won those medals by pulling up to the line thinking it was going to be a gimme or "expected", you are in the wrong sport. It's not over until it's over, and those crews earned those medals by busting their asses harder than anyone else in the world, and respecting the speed and talent of their competitors, got it? A medal at the highest level of our sport is and always will be the most deserving of an award like this.
You are right on one account, a medal at the highest level of the sport is and always will be the most deserving of an award like this. In case you missed it, the USA W8+ won FISA boat of the year a couple weeks ago. They had a nice ceremony in Paris and everything. This is a poll, not an award. People will have their own reasons for voting for a particular boat. Also, I never said the W8+ or M8+ races were a "gimme," I was there watching and they were far from it. I was just saying it was not that surprising having seen results over the past 4 years, watching the women train in Princeton over the past year, and knowing how the Canadians felt after Athens. The bottom line is this is just a fun poll on a rowing website, take it easy. Walking away from the Olympics with any medal is unbelievably hard to do and is the greatest award I can think of, I doubt any of the medalists will really care whether or not they win a poll for boat of the year on row2k in which less than 5000 people have voted.
For all the reasons you picked Malvern I picked Columbia. I mean really, who would have thought that they would be the only Ivy League School in the Ira final (and not to mentino winning a race which they had not one since the 1940's and another they hadent won since the 60's)
There is no point to slagging on crews that are finalists for Crew of the Year, as they all have had outstanding years. If you feel that someone else should have been nominated instead, the time and place to do that was during the nomination process with a well written argument as to why they should have been selected. Half the nominations we get just name the crew, but don't give any reason why.
Negative posts only reflect poorly on yourself and will just get deleted anyway.
yeah the quad isnt as big as the 8 in the US and the quad isn't as fast as the Wisco 8, but going undefeated, being the fastest in the country (essentially North America), and they made it to the semifinals at Henley (only done once before by the US). thats damn impressive
The crew of the year doesn't necessarily have to be the bar none fastest boat on the list.... I think they should be a dominant bunch of competitors who threw down hard and/or overcame a serious odds off chance of making the impact that they did. With that in mind, I think the voting is actually turning out quite logically.
ok. are you all serious? an Olympic Gold Medal.
really. is ANYthing better than that? ANYWHERE?
Maybe I should nominate my masters womens crew? Really. THey are great. BUT THE OLYMPICS??????
FIRST TIME SINCE 1984?? Even wisco won in 1990...
C'mon now...
24.3%
There is no point to slagging on crews that are finalists for Crew of the Year, as they all have had outstanding years. If you feel that someone else should have been nominated instead, the time and place to do that was during the nomination process with a well written argument as to why they should have been selected. Half the nominations we get just name the crew, but don't give any reason why.
Negative posts only reflect poorly on yourself and will just get deleted anyway.