UW Wraps 2024 Olympics With Program-Record 11 Medals

Photo by: USRowing

August 03, 2024 | Men's Rowing

WorldRowing.com Coverage All-Time UW Olympians (all sports)

PARIS – Washington Rowing completed an historically successful Olympic Games, as eight more UW alumni earned medals Saturday on the final day of the Paris regatta. In all, 11 Washington rowers won Olympic medals, the highest total in program history.

In fact, only twice before have more UW alumni earned more medals in a single Olympiad in all sports. Huskies won 12 medals in 1984 (including three in sailing, not a UW varsity sport), and in 1936, when nine of those medalists were the UW men's eight with coxswain who won gold for the U.S.A. – the legendary "Boys In The Boat."

Six UW men took home medals from the men's eight final Saturday in Paris. Jacob Dawson '16, the 2016 UW captain and a bronze medalist in the eights in 2020, won a gold medal as the four seat in the British eight.

The British crew beat the Netherlands to the finish line, with UW alum Gert-Jan van Doorn '21 earning the silver medal as part of the Dutch team's historically successful regatta.

The U.S. men's eight finished third, earning a bronze medal for four more Huskies. The U.S. eight, coached by current UW head coach Michael Callahan '96, and featuring Chris Carlson '18, Rielly Milne '18, Evan Olson '19, and Pieter Quinton '21, earned a place on the medal stand for the first time since 2008, when the Americans also won the bronze.

uw alumni with 2024 olympic men's eight medals

uw alumni with 2024 olympic men's eight medals

In the women's eight final, UW alum Holly Dunford '22 earned a bronze medal in the Great Britain crew, in her Olympics debut. In that same final, Nina Castagna '22 finished fifth as the coxswain of the U.S. eight, while Aisha Rocek '25 finished sixth with her Italian crew.

holly Dunford with 2024 olympics bronze medal

holly Dunford with 2024 olympics bronze medal

In the final event of the regatta, the men's single sculls final, former UW captain Simon van Dorp '20, won the bronze medal, capping the historical haul for both Husky alumni, and the Dutch, who won medals in eight race categories.

Michael Callahan and Simon van dorp at 2024 olympics

Michael Callahan and Simon van dorp at 2024 olympics

Washington Rowing's previous high for total medals won by individuals in a single Olympiad was nine, in 1936, when the famed "Boys in the Boat" won gold in an all-UW men's eight. In the era since U.S. crews were no longer comprised of a single college's athletes, the UW's high total was eight, in 1984, when UW Rowing alumni won five men's and three women's medals.

As of the final race of the morning, the UW's 11 total medals would have ranked 11^th on the medal table, if "UW Rowing Alumni" was a country.

Earlier in the week, Washington alumni picked up three metals: Tabea Schendekehl '20 (bronze in Germany women's quad), Phoebe Spoors '17 (bronze in New Zealand women's four), and Logan Ullrich '25 (silver in New Zealand men's four).

Washington Rowing Alumni in the 2024 Olympics

Men's Single – M1x
Simon van Dorp '20, Netherlands – Bronze medal

Women's Pair – W2-
Jessica Thoennes '18, USA – 4^th place

Men's Double – M2x
Ben Davison '18, USA – 4^th place

Women's Four – W4-
Phoebe Spoors '17, New Zealand – Bronze medal

Men's Four – M4-
Logan Ullrich '23, New Zealand – Silver medal

Women's Quad – W4x
Teal Cohen '21, USA – 9^th place
Tabea Schendekehl '20, Germany – Bronze medal

Women's Eight – W8+
Nina Castagna '22, USA – 5^th place
Holly Dunford '22, Great Britain – Bronze medal
Aisha Rocek '25, Italy – 6^th place

Men's Eight – M8+
Chris Carlson '18, USA – Bronze medal
Rielly Milne '18, USA – Bronze medal
Evan Olson '19, USA – Bronze medal
Pieter Quinton '21, USA – Bronze medal
Jacob Dawson '16, Great Britain – Gold medal
Gert-Jan van Doorn '21, Netherlands – Silver medal

Spare, PR3 Mixed Coxed Four – PR3Mix4+
Danielle Hansen '17, USA

Coaches
Michael Callahan '96, USA men's eight coach
Lori Dauphiny '85, USA women's pairs coach
Adrienne Martelli '10, USA women's sweep coach