When the 2012 London Olympic competition begins on Saturday, Oklahoma City native Will Newell will be competing for the United States rowing team attempting to win gold.
Newell, who attends Harvard is a relative newcomer to the sport after startinghis junior year of high school according to a feature in the The Harvard Crimson. But he caught on quickly and now finds himself competing in the men's lightweight four rowing event on worlds biggest athletic stage:
After coming to Harvard, Newell developed quickly, earning himself the lightweight captaincy as a senior and leading the Crimson to a combined 27-1 during his time on the 1V. A victory at Eastern Sprints and a second-place finish at IRA nationals, along with a stint on the Under-23 National team in 2010, convinced Newell to consider international rowing despite his short career.
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