Four BRF athletes who we have directly supported competed at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Clark Dean won a bronze medal with the men’s eight, in a time of 05:25.28, behind Olympic Champions Great Britain and the Netherlands. The USA was in bronze medal position throughout the race, and beat 4th place Germany by over 4 seconds. Clark rowed at Harvard and competed in Tokyo in the men’s four. He is not sure if he will continue to LA.
Emily Kallfelz returned to sweep rowing after racing in the quad in 2023 and helped the women’s four to a fifth-place finish. After battling injuries for several years, she was able to return to full health with the support of the BRF. Emily will be living in Boston and hopes to compete in LA.
Michelle Sechser (with Molly Reckford) raced to a sixth place-finish in the very last edition of the Women’s Lightweight Double at the Olympic Games. Michelle and Molly became the only US lightweight women to Row in multiple Olympics , and the first US lightweight women since 2000 to race in an Olympic final( both in 2021 and 2024). Michelle has plans to stay in the Boston area and is debating whether to go openweight or perhaps to Beach Sprints.
Ben Washburne stroked the US PR3 Mixed Coxed Four to a silver medal finish, just three second behind Great Britain, the closest margin since the event was extended to 2000 meters in 2017. The crew was composed of a pair of recent graduates and three undergraduates, and there is every reason to be excited for their potential in LA.