U.S. Rowing's All-time Greats to be Honored at the 2017 World Rowing Championships

For Immediate Release: August 2, 2017

1964 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal-Winning Men's Eight

SARASOTA-BRADENTON, Fla. — The 2017 World Rowing Championships will be teaming up with the National Rowing Foundation and USRowing to honor 19 "Crews of Distinction" at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton.

Selected by the National Rowing Foundation, 19 U.S. gold medal-winning crews from across seven decades will be honored on Saturday, September 30, following the completion of racing at approximately 1:15 p.m. Crews will be honored both on the water and on land, with 11 boats doing a row-by through the finish line.

"U.S. rowing has a strong history of great performances," said Jamie Koven, co-chair of the National Rowing Foundation and two-time world champion. "It’s nice to have so many successful men’s and women’s crews back to celebrate the World Rowing Championships on our home turf."

"The 2017 World Rowing Championships will showcase today’s best of the best," said Meredith Scerba, the executive director of the 2017 World Rowing Championships. "Through Crews of Distinction, our spectators will have an incredible opportunity to see and meet some of the sport’s elite all-stars of the past. It’s going to be historic and you won’t want to miss it."

Crews being honored include the 1987 men’s eight and lightweight women’s four, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their victories; the 1994 men’s eight and lightweight women’s four, representing world champions from the last time the U.S. hosted the World Rowing Championships; and the 1997 men’s eight, men’s single sculls, lightweight women’s single sculls and men’s pair with coxswain, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their gold medal performances.

Other world champions being honored include the 1966 men’s single sculls, 1974 men’s eight, 1995 women’s eight, 1999 lightweight men’s eight, 2003 trunk and arms double sculls, and 2006 women’s eight – the first crew in the current streak of 11 consecutive world and Olympic women’s eight titles.

In addition, five Olympic gold medal crews will be recognized including the 1956 men’s eight, 1964 men’s eight, 1984 women’s eight, 1984 men’s double sculls, and 2004 men’s eight.

ABOUT THE 2017 WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS

From September 23 – October 1, 2017, the World Rowing Championships, an international rowing regatta organized by FISA (the International Rowing Federation), will be held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, the only Grade A course in the United States and "where world-class athletes come to compete." In the 48 years of the event’s existence, the United States has hosted only one other World Championships, in 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This weeklong event is held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer. In non-Olympic years, it is the highlight of the international rowing calendar. Rowing takes place in 21 different boat classes for both men and women.

Our goal is to attract athletes, family, friends and fans from around the United States and the world, to attend this world-class event, and grow the following of rowing in the US.

For more information, please visit WRCH2017.com

About USRowing

USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing has 83,000 individual members and 1,350 member organizations, offering rowing programs for all. USRowing receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation and its corporate sponsors and partners.

Copyright © 2017 United States Rowing Association, All rights reserved.

As a service to our readers, Around the Rings will provide verbatim texts of selected press releases issued by Olympic-related organizations, federations, businesses and sponsors.

These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only