USRowing CEO Statement on Olympic Performance and the Future

The Olympic Regatta concluded on Saturday with success for Team USA. Our athletes worked tirelessly to reach Paris, and it is a proud moment to see their years of dedication to the sport recognized and rewarded.

The men’s four made history, winning the first gold in the event since Rome 1960 and the first U.S. men’s gold medal since Athens 2004. The men’s eight earned bronze, the first medal for the boat since Beijing 2008. 

Winning gold in the men’s four and bronze in the men’s eight are great achievements, and many other boats also recorded finishes that improved upon recent Olympic form:
 

• 12 out of 14 boats qualified, the most since London 2012.
• For a fifth consecutive Olympics, all of the women’s boats qualified.
• 8 boats qualified for the A Finals, the highest since Sydney 2000.
• With a gold and a bronze, two medals are the most since Atlanta 1996 for the men, and it’s the best medal results for the men since LA 1984.
• The men’s double placed fourth narrowly missing a bronze medal, but finishing with the highest result since LA 1984. 
• The women’s four placed fifth, another historic result in that event, the highest Olympic finish since Barcelona 1992.  
• The men’s single qualified for the Olympics for the first time since London 2012 and bettered their finish in that games by 11 places.
• The women’s single, women’s pair, and women’s quad all bettered their Tokyo 2020 finishes.

I want to acknowledge and thank all of our athletes for their unwavering commitment and dedication to their Olympic journey. It is an honor that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Competing at the highest level requires talent, perseverance, and strength that has been a joy to witness in Paris. To our medal winners in the men’s four and men’s eight, congratulations on making history and for an outstanding performance on rowing’s greatest stage!

I would like to thank Josy Verdonkschot, all of our coaches, and the support staff for their tireless work in reenvisioning our High Performance program with a focus on longevity and success. Under Josy’s leadership, our program and athletes are reinvigorated, and driven to achieving excellence on the international level. 

I would also like to give a special thanks to Casey Galvanek, our Head Men’s Sweep Coach, and Mike Callahan. Casey coached this men’s four to a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships, and now to an Olympic Gold. Mike coached this men’s eight boat to silver at the 2024 World Cup II, and now to an Olympic Bronze.

As we forge ahead, we are committed to retaining our talented athletes who gained invaluable experience at the Games, improving race preparation, and to developing our athlete pipeline through the Pathways program we launched in late 2023. Through our Under 19 and Under 23 platforms, we will continue to nurture American rowing talent and empower athletes to be the best rowers in the world. The fulfillment of our long term vision for the National Team is still in its early stages and the High Performance Program will be stronger, and more successful in the coming years. 

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters, staff, board members, USRowing Foundation trustees, partners, and donors. We are so grateful for your contributions and look forward to the Paralympics later this month.

With Gratitude, 

Amanda Kraus