August 31, 2001

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Georgetown University freshman crew coach Hilary Gehman won a bronze medal in the 2001 FISA World Rowing Championships as part of the U.S. Women’s quadruple skulls team. The championships, which ran from August 18-26, were held in Lucerne, Switzerland.

This win marks the first time that the United States has medaled in the women’s quad skulls in either the World Championships or the Olympics since 1993. Gehman’s team competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 1999 World Rowing Championships, but finished in fifth and fourth place, respectively.

"We had a pretty bad heat so we knew we had to turn it around and row a confident race if we were going to have any chance of winning," Gehman said.

Twenty-four events were contested at this year’s world championships, with the U.S. racing in 23. In total, the United States won two silver and two bronze medals, including a second place finish from the women’s lightweight pair coached by GU assistant crew coach Jimmy King.