Eights and Quads to Race for Medals on Sunday at 2008 Olympic Games

BEIJING - The U.S. women's eight, men's eight, women's quadruple sculls and men's quadruple sculls will race for medals on Sunday, the final day of rowing competition at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.

The women's eight of coxswain Mary Whipple (Sacramento, Calif.), Caryn Davies (Ithaca, N.Y.), Caroline Lind (Greensboro, N.C.), Susan Francia (Abington, Pa.), Anna Cummins (Bellevue, Wash.), Eleanor Logan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine), Anna Goodale (Camden, Maine), Lindsay Shoop (Charlottesville, Va.) and Erin Cafaro (Modesto, Calif.) advanced to the final by winning its heat on Monday. The two-time defending world champions will take on boats from Romania, The Netherlands, Canada, Great Britain and Australia in the race for the medals. Romania, who won the other heat, is the two-time defending Olympic champions, while Canada won Wednesday's repechage, or second-chance race.

The men's eight of coxswain Marcus McElhenney (Lansdowne, Pa.), Bryan Volpenhein (Cincinnati, Ohio), Josh Inman (Hillsboro, Ore.), Steven Coppola (Buffalo, N.Y.), Dan Walsh (Norwalk, Conn.), Wyatt Allen (Portland, Maine), Micah Boyd (St. Paul, Minn.), Matt Schnobrich (St. Paul, Minn.) and Beau Hoopman (Plymouth, Wis.) advanced to the final by winning the repechage on Tuesday. The crew will take on Canada, Great Britain, Australia, The Netherlands and Poland. Canada, the defending world champions, and Great Britain won the two heats. The U.S. is the defending Olympic champion.

In the women's quadruple sculls, the crew of Margot Shumway (Westlake, Ohio), Jennifer Kaido (West Leyden, N.Y.), Lindsay Meyer (Seattle, Wash.) and Lia Pernell (Seattle, Wash.) finished second in its repechage to earn a spot in the final. The quartet will take on Great Britain, China, Germany, Australia and Ukraine on Sunday. Great Britain, the three-time defending world champions, and China enter the final off of victories in the heats, while Germany won the repechage. The Germans are the defending Olympic champions.

The men's quadruple sculls crew of Scott Gault (Piedmont, Calif.), Jamie Schroeder (Wilmette, Ill.), Sam Stitt (McLean, Va.) and Matt Hughes (Ludington, Mich.) finished second in its semifinal to advance to the final. The crew will race for medals against Italy, Poland, Australia, Germany and France. Poland, the three-time defending world champions, and Italy won the two semifinals, while Australia was the other second-place finisher.

For complete results and heat sheets, please visit http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/Schedule/RO.shtml.

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