Rower Amanda Elmore pictured in the middle. ANN ARBOR—Pure joy.

That’s how University of Michigan graduate student Amanda Elmore describes earning the gold medal with the U.S. women’s eight rowing team at the Rio Olympics.

“When we crossed the line I just felt pure happiness and awe that we had won,” she said. “I’m so happy we could perform under that pressure. I feel so proud to be a part of this group of women.”

Elmore said the race was very competitive and she pushed herself really hard to make sure they won, even though her body was screaming for air, in pain, over the last 500 meters. When they docked, she realized she felt lightheaded.

“I was feeling pretty drained on the medals dock, but I was fine after catching my breath and eating some food,” she said. “It’s amazing what you can make your body do when you want something so badly.”

Her medal marks the first time a Michigan rowing program alumna has earned gold at the Olympics. It is also the third medal overall in the history of the program.

With Elmore in the stroke seat—the rower in the seat closest to the stern who sets the rhythm and pace—the U.S. team battled top crews from Canada and the Netherlands in the first thousand meters of the race. They were in third place just a few seats off the lead. The eight athletes pulled in front by several seats, just before the 1,500-meter mark, and increased its margin in the final stages of the race, finishing in 6:01.49.

Her first time in Brazil, Elmore said the rowing venue was amazing with buildings and mountains surrounding the course and the statue to look up at. She said she is impressed not only by the competition, but also by the public support.

“The locals and volunteers are thrilled to be hosting the Olympics and are extremely helpful and kind in every interaction,” she said. “I can see they have worked really hard to give us a good experience.”

Now that she is done competing and “got out of the bubble for the first time,” Elmore is experiencing the culture.

“I’ve already tried some amazing food (and caipirinhas!), relaxed on the beach, visited the botanical gardens and attended other sporting events. Everything for me has been safe and fairly easy,” she said.

A big gymnastics fan, Elmore also was able to talk to some of the gymnasts a few times in the village.

“And I got to attend the balance beam final and watch some of my favorites compete,” she said. “It’s fun to watch other athletes working towards their dreams in completely different sports.”

U-M in Rio
The University of Michigan was well represented at this year’s Olympic Games with 33 athletes and coaches competing. Together with Elmore, they won six gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Among the nearly three dozen Olympic athletes and coaches with U-M ties are:

Swimming: The most-decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps won five gold medals and one silver in Rio before announcing his retirement. In multiple interviews, he said he now wants to work on his efforts to reduce the drowning rate throughout the world, teaching kids water safety and encouraging them to stay healthy and active in sports. Phelps trained, coached and attended classes at U-M for four years beginning in 2004 and finishes his career with 23 gold medals and 28 overall.

Swimmer Connor JaegerFormer U-M swimmer Connor Jaeger won his first Olympic medal in Rio by winning a silver medal and lowering his American record in the 1,500-meter freestyle (14:39.48). Since the 2004 games in Athens, he is the first American to medal in this category. Jaeger is the 37th medalist in the U-M program’s history.

Gymnastics: Former Wolverine Sam Mikulak (’14) fell one spot short of a medal at the Rio games. He also placed seventh in the all-around, eighth in the floor exercise and was part of USA’s fifth-place team finish. It was Mikulak’s second Olympic appearance. In London, he was selected for the five-man U.S. men’s gymnastics team and competed in the vault final, placing 5th.
Marathon Swimming: U-M alum Sean Ryan (’14), a Georgia native, placed 14th in the competition that included 51 swimmers from 29 countries. He crossed the line 13 seconds behind the bronze medal winner. Immediately afterwards, officials disqualified him and two others for what was believed to be contact at the finish. After looking at video replay, judges reversed his disqualification.

Mixed Sailing: In the sailing competition, Bora Gulari (’04) had several strong days of racing and in the finals, together with partner Louisa Chafee, earned 8th place in the Nacra 17 class medal race. It was their first career Team USA appearance. Gulari did not begin sailing until 2001 while attending the University of Michigan, where he obtained a degree in aerospace engineering.

More information:

• Complete U-M Roster for 2016 Rio Olympics
• U-M experts available to discuss Olympic Games