ROWING: Four Victorious Boats from National Selection Regattas to Compete at World Cups

Women's single sculler Michelle Guerette and the National Selection Regatta winners in the men's pair, women's pair and women's double sculls will compete at 2008 FISA World Cup regattas for the opportunity to earn spots on the 2008 Olympic Team. Guerette (Bristol, Conn.) and the men's pair of Bryan Volpenhein (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Jason Read (Ringoes, N.J.) will try to qualify for the Games at the world cup regatta scheduled for May 8-11 in Munich, Germany. Guerette will need to finish in the top six to qualify, while Volpenhein and Read will need to finish in the top four, or top 50 percent if there are fewer than eight entries, to qualify. The women's double sculls tandem of Ellen Tomek (Flint, Mich.) and Megan Kalmoe (St. Croix Falls, Wis.) and the women's pair of Caroline Lind (Greensboro, N.C.) and Elle Logan (Boothbay Harbor, Maine) will attempt to qualify at the world cup race scheduled for May 30-June 1 in Lucerne, Switzerland. The crews will need to finish in the top four, or top 50 percent if there are fewer than eight entries, to qualify. If the boat does not qualify at its chosen world cup race or decides not to accept its nomination, the event will be opened up to the second set of U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Rowing scheduled for June 9-13. The men's double sculls crew of Matt Hughes (Ludington, Mich.) and Sam Stitt (McLean, Va.) chose not to race at the world cup regattas to concentrate on making the men's quadruple sculls crew, opening up the double to trials in June. The five crews earned the opportunity to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games at the world cup regattas as specified through the 2008 Olympic Team Selection Procedures. For a complete explanation of USRowing's selection procedures, please visit the following link on USRowing's Web site: http://www.usrowing.org/News_Media/2008OlympicGames/08olselexp.aspx. 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's Official Sponsor is Johnson and Johnson; its Official Suppliers are Hudson Boat Works, NIKE, Inc., and Rosetta Stone; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; its Official Registrar is RegattaCentral; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation. -30-