A Letter from USRowing's Board Chair on Tokyo

Dear USRowing Community,

The results from Tokyo are not what we wanted them to be. There is no doubt that the lack of Olympic medals was disappointing to our Olympians, who have worked tirelessly for an additional year under highly restrictive training conditions, as well as their teammates who pushed them to be the best, all those in the U.S. rowing system who trained with them, our alumni who understand what it takes to be an Olympian, and all our fans, friends, families and supporters who were cheering them on from afar.

Amidst the disappointment, this moment affirms our desire to improve our national team programs to prepare our athletes for success in Paris 2024 and LA28. We started on this path last fall when we took the first steps toward an in-depth examination of our high-performance culture and structure. These efforts included a review by a subcommittee of the Board late last year, followed by a pre-Games presentation last month to the Board by the High Performance Review and Planning Council. The groundwork for change has been laid, but much work remains to be done.

With the Tokyo results now complete, Amanda Kraus and her team have started assessing the path forward, including a review of direct athlete feedback. In addition, the USRowing High Performance Committee will be conducting its own post-Games assessment. We expect to receive their recommendations, together with summary results of recent athlete surveys, in the coming weeks. We also hope to receive the USOPC review and audit report before the end of the summer.

The Board will consider the information above, together with all other relevant information necessary, for a thoughtful and thorough review of our high-performance program and our national teams. Many of you will have questions, suggestions, and recommendations. During the coming weeks, we will be focused on providing the best possible answers for the future of all our dedicated athletes, supporters, and community at large.

Thank you for your continued support.

Nobuhisa Ishizuka

Chair and President

USRowing Board of Directors