Brookline Rower Takes Gold in World Competition, Aims Even Higher

Brookline native Laura Larsen-Strecker says one of her most serene rowing experiences also ended up being one of her most successful.

A member of the U.S. Rowing training program in Princeton, New Jersey, Larsen-Strecker won a gold medal in the Women's Eight event of the 2010 World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland last month.

"I had never been to Lucerne before, and it is an amazing place to row," Larsen-Strecker said. "The water is flat and calm all of the time."

A rower always wants calm conditions, but the lake, which is just barely long enough for competition, provided calm views along with ideal racing conditions.

"The lake was set in a valley, and was very well protected," Larsen-Strecker said. "The lake is beautiful."

It was Larsen-Strecker's first time racing in the World Cup, and her experience leading her crew in the World Cup heats will give her confidence heading into this weekend's third National Selection Regatta in West Windsor, N.J. Hoping to qualify for this year's World Championship team, she will compete in two-person boats against some of her usual teammates. The World Championships take place in New Zealand in November.

"My main focus for this year is the World Championships," said Larsen-Streckler. "From there, we can qualify for the Olympics, so it is our placement in the World Championships, and even before that, making that team, that really matter."

Larsen-Strecker has been a member of the National Team for two years: one year on the Under-23 Squad, and one year on the Senior National Team. While on the Under-23 team, she won the gold medal at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships.

Joining her at the selection regattas and as national team members are several of her Harvard teammates. A 2008 graduate of the school and former co-captain of the crew team, Larsen-Strecker points to the strength of their coaches as the reason her and many of her teammates are able to compete on rowing's world stage.

"Harvard has really good coaches who have been there for a long time," she said. "They have great training ideas and practices that prepare you well for races. Those practices have been refined for years, and because of it, they always have a good tradition of creating very good crews."

"When there is a good program and good coaches, it perpetuates itself a little bit, and always attracts a high caliber of rowers," she added.

Though competing is always a challenge, nothing Larsen-Strecker faces this weekend will beat what her and her teammates faced immediately after receiving her gold medals at the Lucerne World Cup: a giant thunderstorm that they had to row through post-medal ceremony.

"The medal stand was by the competition end, on the course, and right as we were rowing back to the dock after receiving our medals, the heavens opened up," she recalled. "All sorts of thunder, lightening, right on the water. They had to postpone every race after us."

"These things happen – it is summer. We got back just in time, but it was definitely a race!"