Terriers Row For Medals at Beijing Olympics
August 13, 2008 | Men's Rowing
Aug. 13, 2008
BOSTON - Medal hopes are still alive for four Terriers in the rowing competitions at the Beijing Olympics. Alumni Will Daly ('06) and Jozef Klaassen ('07) and rising junior Meindert Klem have advanced in their respective events, while two-time Olympic medalist and long-time US National team coach Ted Nash ('54) is coaching the American team that will row in the finals of the men's pairs. Alumnus Florian Menningen (`06) has also been in action at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, captaining the German boat in the men's eights.
Daly is in the third seat in the lightweight men's fours with the United States team. After finishing third in the repechage on Tuesday with a time of 6:27.43, the Americans will race in the second semifinal heat on Thursday afternoon in China (4:20 a.m. early Thursday morning Eastern time). The U.S. team will row against Ireland, Great Britain, Denmark, France and Italy with the top three boats advancing to Sunday's gold medal final.
Klaassen and Klem are each rowing for the Netherlands in the men's eights. With Klem facing his former BU teammate Menningen in the repechage on Tuesday, the Dutch boat finished third with a time of 5:42.62, five seconds ahead of Menningen's German team. Menningen will row again on Saturday (3:20 a.m. early Saturday morning Eastern time) against China for seventh place, while Klaassen, in the fourth seat, and Klem, at the bow, race in the gold medal final on Sunday (5:30 a.m. early Sunday morning Eastern time). The Netherlands will be up against the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and Poland.
Nash has coached the American men's pair of twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss out of the repechage and into the gold medal final. After a last place finish in its opening heat, the U.S. team won the repechage on Monday, then finished second in its semifinal heat on Wednesday with a 6:36.65 to qualify for the finals. Nash's pair will row for gold on Saturday (4:30 a.m. EST) against pairs from South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Germany.
