We've seen how dominant the Golden Bears are in the water, so today, let's talk about a Golden Bear who excels on the water: Elliot Hovey, who will be competing in the men's quadruple sculls this summer in the London Olympic Games. The 2007 Berkeley alumnus grew up in an athletic family in Massachusetts-his sister also moved across the country and played lacrosse at the University of Denver. You can see him in action with the Golden Bears in the video above; after the jump, find out more about Hovey!
In his NBC athlete profile, Hovey credits his coach, Australian Olympic veteran Tim McLaren, for teaching him "so much about how to be a rower, an athlete and a human being." Understanding that a component of success comes from team chemistry, he made an effort to get to know his teammate, West Piermarini:
"We live on different sides of town, but we'll grab a pizza now and then." Four years after they rowed the double sculls together in Beijing, Hovey and Piermarini were named to the quadruple sculls for the 2012 London Games.
With the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing already under his belt, Hovey has competed internationally, gaining acclaim around the world. US Rowing lists some of his achievements:
Finished eighth in the quadruple sculls at the 2010 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Finished second in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup at the 2010 Royal Henley Regatta...Finished seventh in the quadruple sculls at the 2010 Rowing World Cup stop in Munich...Finished 12th in the quadruple sculls at the 2009 World Rowing Championships...Finished fourth in the quadruple sculls at the 2009 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Finished 12th in the double sculls at the 2008 Olympic Games...Won the Double Sculls Challenge Cup at the 2008 Henley Royal Regatta.
For an exciting "sky-high" view of a Varsity 8 race:
Row2k had the opportunity to interview Hovey recently:
I was off to a rough start and wondered if JV baseball would have been the wiser option. Needless to say, I'm glad a stuck it out for a bit longer.
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Long story short, after all the drama, I won the race. At the finish line, I remember turning to my teammate and exclaiming "we won!" and gasping for air he said "yeah dude." I then asked, "wait, do we get a medal for this?" confused and still out of breath he said "yeah dude, we won." I couldn't believe it, I finally won something! I felt like an Olympic champion! To this day, that modest hatchet-shaped medal hangs from a piece of twine in my room and will forever be my favorite one... But I wanted more.
The multi-talented Hovey has many options ahead of him after this year's Olympic Games; he is considering an MBA and helping a start-up brewery in the Bay Area as well as becoming a fishing guide. The AC/DC fan will surely propel Team USA to new waters after you "Fire Your Guns!" Remember to root for Elliot Hovey in London!