The United States men’s 8 rowing squad snagged fourth place in last Saturday’s final at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at Lagoa Stadium.
Featuring Redmond’s Rob Munn and Kirkland’s Hans Struzyna, the team finished the race in 5:34.23.
“Proud of you all!” read the University of Washington rowing Twitter.
Great Britain won the gold (5:29.63), Germany took the silver (5:30.96) and the Netherlands notched the bronze (5:31.59).
Munn and Struzyna both starred for UW and started rowing with the Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA). Munn is a Redmond High graduate and Struzyna is a former Redmond resident.
Approximately 50 people watched last Saturday morning’s event — which began at 7:24 a.m. PT — at the SRA boathouse.
Struzyna emailed the Reporter last Saturday, saying that it’s been “a hell of a ride” and he thanks everyone who has supported him along the way: his girlfriend, family, friends, host families, coaches and teammates.
On rowing in the final, he noted: “We put up solid sections of the race, but didn’t do it all the way down the track. That is what it takes to win. Plain and simple. On another day, who knows? But that is what makes the games so special. It is one day every four years and you had better show up on that day.”
Added Munn on Tuesday in an email from Rio: “In our last race, we went out and weren’t able to execute our best race. While it is frustrating, it is incredible to be here at the Olympic Games and I am looking forward to seeing a bunch of different events and supporting team USA!”
Munn’s parents, Sally and Bob, attended the games and said it was an unbelievable experience to watch their son and his teammates row. The rowers put in the hard work over the years and were rewarded with spots on the Olympic team and front-row seats to put their athleticism and drive into play during the races.
The Munns, who live in Redmond, have watched their son and Struzyna develop as rowers, first with SRA, then UW and now with the Olympic team.
“There is no way to describe the pride we feel as parents of an Olympian. They are among the top athletes in the world in their sport. That is a humbling thought,” they said in an email.
SRA Executive Director Steven Freygang said that he’s proud of Munn and Struzyna and felt they performed well against the competition. He noted that Great Britain and Germany had very experienced crews.
“Watching them race at the SRA boathouse was surreal. We had a huge crowd show up, including former coaches and rowers from many years ago,” said Freygang, who believes Munn and Struzyna are the only two SRA rowers to reach the Olympic level.
At SRA, Freygang said that athletes not only gain rowing experience, but they grow as people and can learn life lessons along the way. It’s emotional and intense when people depend on each other to achieve success, he added.
“Rob and Hans took to heart the culture and values of SRA, and as a result they have been tremendously successful,” Freygang said.
Both rowers remain connected with SRA and they visit often to discuss rowing and how it’s enhanced their lives with young rowers. Struzyna will return to the area and speak at the grand opening of the new, state-of-the-art SRA boathouse on Sept. 25.
