Kara Kohler one win away from Tokyo Olympics berth
CLAYTON, CA – The first spot on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Rowing Team will be up for grabs Friday morning during the finals of the first 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Rowing with Clayton’s Kara Kohler still holding the favorite’s role after three impressive victories this week.
While five boat classes are being contested during the five-day event, only the winner of the women’s single sculls will earn her ticket to Tokyo, pending USOPC approval.
Racing in the first semifinal of the women’s single on Thursday morning, USRowing Training Center-Kohler, the reigning world championships’ bronze medalist, established an open-water advantage in the first 500 meters and continued to increase her margin over the middle portion of the race. Kohler, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in the women’s quadruple sculls, crossed the finish line in a 7:51.22, more than 11 seconds ahead of Kristina Wagner.
Nerve wracking
“It was very nerve-wracking – the semifinal into the final to be able to have the chance at achieving the goal is pretty nerve-wracking, so I’m happy, relieved, that it’s over, and I’m on to the final and have a shot at making the Olympic team tomorrow.” Clayton Valley High and Cal Berkeley grad Kohler said. “I knew everyone would be pushing pretty hard in the first 1,000 (meters) to stay in the race, so I expected that. I tried to stay as relaxed as possible going into the second thousand and then push away.”
In the second semifinal, the biggest threat to Kohler winning her second Olympic berth, Gevvie Stone, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the event, took a lead in the first 500 meters and methodically built her advantage during the middle half of the race. Stone won the race in 7:58.12.
Friday morning, Kohler, Stone, Wagner and Maggie Fellows will race with an Olympic spot on the line.
“I’m very excited,” Kohler said about tomorrow’s race. “It’s been a long road, lots of ups and downs that have made this journey what it is so far. I’m proud of what I’ve done so far, and I would love to finish it off and make the Olympic team tomorrow.”
The other four event winners on Friday in the men’s single sculls, men’s double sculls, lightweight women’s double sculls and lightweight men’s double sculls will need to race at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta May 15-17 to claim their spots on the Olympic roster.
Click here for complete results from today’s racing.
Racing concludes on Friday with finals starting at 5:30 a.m. PST.
Friday Finals will be streamed live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App.
The second 2020 U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Team Trials will take place April 12-16 in West Windsor, N.J. That regatta will feature racing in the women’s double sculls, men’s quadruple sculls, men’s pair, PR1 men’s single sculls, PR1 women’s single sculls and PR2 mixed double sculls.
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be held July 23-Aug. 9, with rowing events starting July 23.