It’s Silver Again For U.S. Rowers In PR3 Mixed Coxed Four

Hallie Smith USA competing in the Rowing Women's Single Sculls - PR1W1x at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. 

Once again, it was a two-boat race in PR3 mixed four with coxswain between Team USA and Great Britain, but once again, it was the Brits who came out on top. 

For the seventh consecutive time at either the world championships or the Paralympic Games, Great Britain got the best of Team USA in the event, pulling away to win in a time of 7:09.08 on Sunday in the final event of the Paralympic regatta. The Americans were the only team in sight at 11.05 seconds back, with third-place France finishing 17.96 seconds off the swift pace of Team GB. It’s their third consecutive Paralympic gold medal and the second consecutive silver medal for Team USA.

“It feels good,” said U.S. two-time Paralympian Dani Hansen, who’s been a part of all seven silver medal-winning crews. “It's an accomplishment to bring back a medal for the U.S. and we're really pumped. We put a lot into it and we're happy that we came out with this, it's awesome.

“The one thing you can do when you come here despite the past is to put everything you can on the water, and if you're capable of doing that — which is already difficult — then you can feel proud of yourself. I think all of us did that today.”

For the U.S. team of Hansen and first-time Paralympians Charley Nordin, coxswain Karen Petrik, Allie Reilly and John Tanguay, it’s the third silver medal in team history at the Games. Besides 2016, the U.S. won silver in the debut of rowing at the Paralympic Games in 2008. For the third Games in a row, the U.S. will be bringing home one medal.

“We executed what we wanted to do and we put together everything that we set out to do,” said Petrik. “We're just happy with our result and happy with how the race went.”

The other three U.S. boats in Tokyo all placed fourth in their B finals to finish 10th overall. In men’s single sculls, Blake Haxton competed in his second Paralympic Games. The 30-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, finished fourth in arms and shoulders single sculls in Rio and placed seventh in single sculls at the 2019 world championships. Haxton isn’t done at the Games, however, as he’ll compete for the first time in paracanoe at the Games beginning Sept. 2.

In women’s single sculls, Hallie Smith made her Paralympic debut. The 28-year-old from Washington, D.C., owns one bronze medal in the event from the 2018 world championships. She placed sixth in 2019.

And in mixed double sculls, two-time Paralympian Laura Goodkind teamed up with a new partner for Tokyo in first-time Paralympian Russell Gernaat. The duo previously finished eighth at the 2019 world championships. Goodkind finished 10th in trunk and arms mixed double sculls in Rio with partner Helman Roman. 

Want to follow Team USA athletes during the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020? Visit TeamUSA.org/Tokyo-2020-Paralympic-Games to view the medal table and results.