July 11, 2016
Former University of Notre Dame All-American rower Amanda Polk (2004-08) has earned a spot on the United States Rowing Team heading to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The olympic rowing competition will be held August 6 through 13 at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
“It is a great honor and privilege to not only to be representing the United States in Rio for the 2016 Olympics but Notre Dame as well,” Polk said after her selection.
“I am beyond excited to be on the Olympic team. It is a culmination of over 12 years of hard work and dedication that started on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, moved to the St. Joseph River in South Bend and then all over the world.”
Polk will be part of the Women’s Eight boat that is chasing history at the Rio Games, as they are in pursuit of their 11th consecutive world/olympic title.
“I am so thankful for my time at Notre Dame, it taught me many lessons both in the classroom and on the water,” Polk said.
“The most beneficial of those was perseverance. If it was not the extremely hard curriculum, it was the early mornings and late evenings on the water that continued to push me to the next level. I am honored to be a Notre Dame Alum and a United States Olympian. God. Country. Notre Dame.”
“We are so excited for Amanda and her teammates,” Notre Dame head rowing coach Martin Stone said.
“To dedicate eight years of your life to get to an event that takes place every four years shows incredible determination. We are also proud to have a Notre Dame Rowing alumnus on the boat looking to make history in Rio.”
Polk completed her Notre Dame career as the most decorated rower in school history. A four-time All-American, 2008 team captain and key member of the 2006 Varsity Eight that earned Notre Dame’s first berth in the NCAA rowing championships, finishing seventh overall. She also led Notre Dame to three consecutive BIG EAST Conference rowing championships in her final three years on the team.
Oakland Catholic grad Polk earns spot on Olympic rowing team: Oakland Catholic graduate Amanda Polk did a lot ofââ’¬¦ https://t.co/W4JYDZ3TS2
– Pittsburgh News (@BreakingPGHNews) June 30, 2016
Polk has been a part of the United States national rowing scene since 2004, when she was a member of the U.S. Junior Women’s National Rowing team. She competed on the Under-23 U.S. team in 2008 before moving up to the senior national team. Polk was an alternate for the U.S. Gold Medal winning Women’s Eight in the 2012 Olympics. Among her many international rowing accomplishments, Polk won gold in the eight at the 2015, 2014 and 2013 World Rowing Championships. At the 2012 World Rowing Cup 2, she was a member of the gold medal-winning eight, who set a world record time (5:54.17).
For more on the U.S. Rowing team, visit usrowing.org.