PARIS, France — Nearly a century after the "Boys in the Boat" won a gold medal for the U.S. in Berlin, yet another American team full of former University of Washington Huskies is at the front of the pack at the Olympics.
Team USA won its heat at the Paris Olympics on Monday with a time of 5:29:83, cementing a place in the final. The U.S. men's eight boat is coached by UW rowing coach Michael Callahan and features four UW alumni: Chris Carlson, Rielly Milne, Evan Olson and Pieter Quinton.
"Perfect execution of our race plan," former Husky Evan Olson told KING 5's Chris Egan after the race. "We have a couple plans, you've got plan A and plan B, and we were able to go out and execute plan A, which is take the lead and hold the lead, it was a good race. The Dutch really pushed us all the way to the line, that was awesome from them. really exciting heat for sure."
Olson and Milne grew up in the Seattle area, with Olson hailing from Bothell and Milne coming from Woodinville. UW had a total of six rowers earn spots in the A finals on Monday. Former UW captain and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Jacob Dawson helped get Great Britain a win in its heat and a secure spot in the final.
"It's a really competitive environment," Olson said of the rowing program at UW. "That competition, just grinding each other into the ground and making each other better every day, that just creates a culture and an atmosphere, where people who are average, skinny guys like me who are little wide-eyed freshman, in time we go out there and learn how to become exceptional racers."
It was not just the men's eight where UW was represented, however, as former Husky Nina Castagna and the U.S. women's eight finished second in its heat to Romania, which holds the current world record time in the event.
Castagna and the women's eight will race in the repechage on Thursday with a chance at earning a spot in the A final.
"We're happy with the performance and we know we've got places to build off of," Castagna told KING 5's Chris Egan.
Great Britain won the other women's heat in the eight races on Monday. UW alum Holly Dunford was a key part of getting that team a spot in the A final as well.
The A finals for the men's and women's eight races at the Paris Olympics will be held on Saturday.
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