There are just over 100 days left until the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Athletes across the country go through their own qualification processes to earn a spot on Team USA. Five more athletes officially punched their tickets to Paris as the U.S. Rowing Olympic Trials concluded Sunday at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota. Kara Koehler competed in the women's single sculls. Returning for her third Olympics. Koehler won Sunday's race by six seconds. After the race, Koehler said, “I just have goosebumps.'' “She still feels like she's made the Olympic team for the first time, just her excitement.” This will be the third time she's worn the American flag on the Olympic stage. Koehler won a bronze medal in London in 2012 as part of the quadruple sculls. She also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Games as a single. More than a decade after her first Olympic appearance, the former college reject has another chance at a medal. “I want to be on that podium again,” Koehler said. The men's pairs will be represented by two newcomers. Team USA – William Bender and Oliver Babb. “For me, it's a dream come true,” Bender said. “This is something I've dreamed of for a long time, so it means a lot to be here on this day.'' Both are Dartmouth products. Bender graduated in 2020, but Babu is still attending the school as a member of the Class of 2024. “In some ways, it feels a little unfair,” Babb said of competing in the Olympics at such a young age. “For me, this is like gravy in a way.'' Sunday's final qualifier was Jessica Tenes and Aja Czakovsky, who won the women's pair. Although the two had only been working together for about a week and a half, they were still able to win the race by eight seconds. “Throughout it all, we kept a really positive mindset,” Czakovsky said. “We had a lot of trust in each other and believed in what we could do together.” This will be Tonu's second Olympic appearance. She was a member of the women's eight at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Chakovsky will be competing in his first Olympic Games in Paris. With tickets officially issued, all five qualified rowers will now turn their focus to training for Paris and continuing Team USA's dominance in Olympic waters. ” The other rowers who won Sunday's race will represent the United States in another international qualifying regatta in Switzerland in May. If these athletes perform well, they will also be able to participate in the Olympics. However, there is no automatic bidding for games at this time.
There are just over 100 days left until the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Athletes across the country go through their own qualification processes to earn a spot on Team USA.
Five more athletes officially punched their tickets to Paris as the U.S. Rowing Olympic Trials concluded Sunday at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota.
Kara Koehler will be competing in the women's single sculls for the third time at the Olympics. Koehler won Sunday's race by six seconds.
“I just have goosebumps,” Koehler said after the race. “I still feel like I made the Olympic team for the first time, just the excitement.”
This will be her third time wearing the Stars and Stripes on the Olympic stage. Koehler won a bronze medal in London in 2012 as part of the quadruple sculls. She also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Games as a single. More than a decade after her first Olympic appearance, the former college reject has another chance at a medal.
“I want to be on that podium again,” Koehler said.
Two new men's pairs, William Bender and Oliver Babb, will represent Team USA.
“For me, it's a dream come true,” Bender said. “This is something I've dreamed of for a long time, so it means a lot to be here on this day.”
Both boys are from Dartmouth. Bender said he graduated in 2020, but Babu is still attending school as he is part of the Class of 2024.
“In a way, I feel like it's a little unfair,” Babb said of competing in the Olympics at such a young age. “To me, it's like gravy in a way.”
Sunday's final qualifier was Jessica Tennes and Aja Czajkowski, who won the women's pair. Although the two had only been working together for about a week and a half, they still managed to win the race by eight seconds.
“We kept a really positive mindset the whole time,” Czakovsky said. “We trusted each other so much and believed in what we could do together.”
This will be Thone's second Olympic appearance. She was a member of the women's eight at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Chakovsky will compete in his first Olympic Games in Paris.
With tickets officially issued, all five qualified rowers will now turn their focus to training for Paris and continuing Team USA's dominance in Olympic waters.
“I'm really proud to be a part of the US rowing tradition,” Toens said.
The other rowers who won Sunday's race will represent the United States in another international qualifying regatta in Switzerland in May. If these athletes perform well, they will also be able to participate in the Olympics. However, there is no automatic bidding for games at this time.
