With one of the most storied histories in collegiate rowing, it is no wonder that Washington rowers have such a prominent presence at the Olympics. The eight former Huskies who are competing for the U.S. make up nearly 20 percent of the current Olympic rowing team.
To this day, Hans Struzyna vividly remembers his first Windermere Cup.
Everything was purple and gold. The colors crowded the shores of the Montlake Cut, contrasting with the deep blue of Lake Washington. They snaked their way into the University of Washington boats, where athletes sporting large purple ‘W’s’ on their chests waited, muscles tensed and eyes focused, for the start horn.