Aside from those races at Eton Dorney this summer, no regatta this year will feature more Olympians than the Head Of The Charles.
Fifty-four veterans of the London Games, including at least 29 medalists, are scheduled to compete in the 48th running of America’s largest and most popular fall regatta. The medalists include the gold-medal-winning U.S. Women’s Eight, singles champions Miroslava Knapkova of the Czech Republic and Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, and doubles medalist Kim Crow of Australia.
The Olympians will represent 15 different countries, and will be just a part of the international brigade. Athletes from 28 different countries will compete, the nations running the gamut alphabetically from Australia to Zimbabwe, and geographically from Canada to New Zealand.
Just about every corner of the United States rowing universe will be represented as well, with athletes coming from 37 states and wearing the colors of 705 different clubs. In all there will be 2030 singles, doubles, quads, fours and eights on the three-mile stretch of the Charles between Boston University and Herter Park.
It might have been larger still. Some 900 entrants were turned away in the Regatta’s lottery, because the Charles River will once again be running at full capacity, with a boat starting up the course every 15-20 seconds, pretty much continuously, from just after sunup to just before sundown, both Saturday and Sunday.
Check back next week for race previews detailing the elite athletes who will be joining us for the 2012 HOCR!
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