August 17, 2008 | Men's Rowing
Former Wisconsin men's rowers Beau Hoopman (Plymouth, Wis.) and Micah Boyd (St. Paul, Minn.) helped the U.S. men's rowing team to its first and only medal at the 2008 Olympic Summer Games on Sunday when their men's eight won the bronze medal. The event took place at Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park.
The U.S. started relatively slow and sat in sixth place through 500 meters, but steadily moved up the field over the middle 1,000 meters. By the last 500, Hoopman, Boyd and the Americans were bow-to-bow with Great Britain and were closing on Canada, but the Canadians held on for the gold, while Great Britain just edged Team USA for silver.
Canada, which grabbed the lead right off the start, finished in 5:23.89 to win the gold medal. Great Britain won silver in 5:25.11, just .23 seconds ahead of the bronze medal-winning Americans.
The bronze medals for Hoopman and Boyd are the sixth and seventh Olympic medals for Badger men's rowers. Hoopman's bronze, to go along with his gold in the 2004 men's eight, makes him the first Badger men's rower to win two Olympic medals. His gold and bronze equal former Badger women's rower and Spring Green, Wis., native Carie Graves, who won bronze in the women's eight in 1976 and gold in the women's eight in 1984.
The U.S. men's eight's bronze medal followed the U.S. women's gold medal in the eight. The U.S. women's eight victory was the first for the U.S. since Graves' boat in 1984.
RELATED CONTENTBronze for Hoopman, Boyd
nclick_check=1%20%20"> --> St. Paul Rowers Claim Bronze Medal
elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUHPYDiaK7DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU"> --> 2 Minnesotans help Olympic bronze in men's 8
id=784248"> --> Twist of Fate Summer Games
action=gallery&dir=2008Summer/Olympics/SunEights&label=2008%20Olympic%20Games%20-%20Sunday%20Eights%20Finals&hi=yes%20%20"> --> Row2k.com Sunday Eights Photo Gallery
action=gallery&dir=2008Summer/Olympics/SunEights&label=2008%20Olympic%20Games%20-%20Sunday%20Eights%20Finals&hi=yes"> --> NBCOlympics.com Photo Gallery (Men's Eight Medal Ceremony)
category=PluckPersona&U=0271464d3cc2484aa29008a8130140ad&plckPersonaPage=PersonaBlog&plckUserId=0271464d3cc2484aa29008a8130140ad"> --> Beau Hoopman's Olympic Blog category=PluckPersona&U=0271464d3cc2484aa29008a8130140ad&plckPersonaPage=PersonaBlog&plckUserId=0271464d3cc2484aa29008a8130140ad"> -->
