Former Rutgers Rower in Olympic Quadruple Sculls Finals
Aug 15 | General
BEIJING, China - Former Rutgers men's rower Sam Stitt and the U.S. men's quadruple sculls boat finished second in their semifinals to earn a berth in the finals, Friday at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing, China. USA finished with a time of 5:52.81, approximately one second behind leader Italy. Six boats advance to the finals, which will take place on Sunday, Aug. 17.
Although this is his first Olympics, Stitt has been on the National Team and raced at the World Championships each of the past three years. He won gold in the quadruple sculls at the 2008 FISA World Cup stop in Lucerne, Switzerland, and took eighth in the quadruple sculls at the 2006 FISA World Championships.
The Princeton, N.J. native won the double sculls at the second 2008 National Selection Regatta, finished ninth in the double sculls at the 2007 FISA World Championships, seventh in the double sculls at the 2007 FISA World Cup stop in Lucerne and eighth in the double sculls at the 2007 FISA World Cup stop in Amsterdam. He also placed 10th in the double sculls at the 2005 FISA World Championship and won the double sculls at the 2005 U.S. National Team Trials.
While he was a member of the Rutgers heavyweight eight, Stitt finished second in the Ladies Plate Challenge Cup at the 2003 Henley Royal Regatta and sixth in the varsity eight at the 2003 Eastern Sprints, marking the first time Rutgers had made the final in 22 years.
