Grotonian Rows in Olympic Finals

Alex Karwoski ’08 raced in the finals of the men’s 8 rowing competition in the Olympics on Saturday, August 13. The USA boat placed fourth, finishing in 05:34.23, behind Great Britain's gold-medal time of 05:29.63. Germany and the Netherlands won silver and bronze, respectively.

Alex's boat had secured its place in the finals after a first-place finish in the repechage on Thursday.

Alex began rowing in 2005 at Groton School. In an interview with row2k.com, he said he joined crew primarily to cross-train for cross country, which he then considered his “main sport.” He also named five “amazing coaches” who had influenced his rowing career, including two who coached him at Groton, Topher Row and Bob Madden.

Mr. Madden, pulling a record from 2006, noted that Alex had moved from the #5 boat to the #3 boat that year to increase the strength-to-weight ratio. “At the time, Alex weighed all of 140 pounds,” Mr. Madden said. “He was tenacious and very fit, but relatively new to rowing.”

After Alex joined Groton's #3 boat, the crew was faster and went on to earn silver medals at the 2006 New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) championship. “This was Alex's first rowing medal and the start of what was to become ‘the Road to Rio,’" Mr. Madden said.

In the row2k.com interview, Alex described several of his best all-time races, and included that 2006 NEIRA final, in which Groton placed second to perennial power Belmont Hill.

Groton’s current boys crew coach, Assistant Head Andy Anderson, was coaching girls crew when Alex was at Groton, but remembers him well nonetheless. “I would describe him as a very fine athlete who knew how to push himself very hard and who had solid technique,” Mr. Anderson recalls. “He was a boat mover for sure."

After Groton, Alex went on to row with Trinity College, then transferred to Cornell University, where he continued the sport. He has trained with the U.S. National Team for four years, and earned the number-three seat for the 2016 Olympics.

Alex joins a dozen other Groton School alumni who have rowed in the Olympic Games—Frederick Sheffield '20, Howard “Ox” Kingsbury '22, James Lawrence '25, Lawrence Terry ‘18, Donald Beer '53, Charlie Grimes '53, Emory Clark '56, Seymour "Sy" Cromwell '52, Ted Patton '84, John Parker '85, Henry Nuzum '95, and Liane Malcos '96.

Congratulations Alex!

Photo of 2006 Groton crew courtesy of Bob Madden

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