Paralympic Crew Announced For PR3 Mixed Four With Coxswain
by Karen Price
Charley Nordin and John Tanguay at the 2019 World Rowing Championships on August 28, 2019 in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria.
Nearly two years ago, Dani Hansen, Charley Nordin, Allie Reilly and John Tanguay and coxswain Karen Petrick earned USRowing a Paralympic quota spot in the PR3 mixed four with coxswain by winning silver at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria.
As is the case with quota spots, that didn’t necessarily mean that they’d get to be the ones to use it.
Now they can rest easy. The spot is theirs.
USRowing announced that the five-person crew would represent the U.S. following a selection camp process.
The goal now?
Norden posted to his Instagram, “Done and done. After a tough selection camp these last couple weeks, it’s official, we’re going to Tokyo! To everyone who has helped me along the way, from host families, to boathouses to all the doctors/PT’s that have aided in my recovery and training, thank you.”
Breaking a streak — however great it is — of six consecutive silver medals at the world level including the Paralympic Games Rio 2016 with a turn at the top of the podium. Hansen, who rowed at the University of Washington, was the lone member of the crew that competed in Rio. Reilly and Norden have each won two world silver medals.
The string of silver medals started at the 2014 world championships and continued the next year. Going into Rio they were hungry for gold but couldn’t get past defending champions Great Britain, which repeated the title won in London in 2012.
Again at the 2019 world championships, the U.S. gave chase and overcame Russia to keep the silver streak going but couldn’t catch Great Britain to finally claim the top spot.
The mixed coxed four event at the Paralympic Games is a leg, trunk and arms event. It’s one of four rowing events contested at the Games, along with men’s and women’s single sculls (arms and shoulders) and the trunk and arms mixed double scull.
The Tokyo Games are scheduled to take place from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5, with Para rowing events beginning Aug. 27.
The full U.S. Paralympic rowing roster will be announced next week.
Karen Price
Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic and Paralympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.