How do you define greatness? A mind-bending feat that surpasses expectation and rationality? A moment of authentic surprise that inverts the weight of pressing odds? Or perhaps an incision in the linear unfurling of your heart?
In sport, we are quick to anoint greatness upon each other. A performance that impresses us is often bestowed the virtue of greatness before it can even truly be understood. It is easy to attach brilliance onto bravery and boldness but sometimes the two should not be conflated. True greatness should combine mastery, magnanimity and more than a hint of magic.
The Olympic Games is our ultimate magic show. A procession of truly elite talent, operating at the pinnacle of their sport and thrust forward into a limelight fostered by four years of relative translucency. These two weeks are stitched into the very fabric of competition, dating back to the lore of Ancient Greece, and have transcended the politics of modern society to become the ultimate marker in sporting excellence. To win Olympic Gold gives you immortality of a rare and timeless specification – your story will be perpetuated forevermore, carried forward by the whispers of generations to come, who too aim to climb those sacred steps and join this club of champions. Emerging over the horizon, this time in the blue and red hue of palatial Paris, we are ready for the very fastest in rowing to be crowned.
Step forward, my friends – The Olympic Games have come.
The Stats
Country
United States of America
Crew Names
Sophia Vitas (B)
Kristina Wagner (S)
Average Age
32 years
Olympic Record
Fifth in the W2x at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (Wagner)
2024 Competitive Record
World Rowing Cup 1: N/A
World Rowing Cup 2: 1st W2X
World Rowing Cup 3: N/A
European Championships: N/A
The Profile
Prior to the entries being released, the USA were not my pick for the gold – I had them on the podium, but not the top. However, with some surprising selection decisions elsewhere (more of that below), this has elevated the USA double to the top rank. They are an experienced duo; Wagner raced with Gevvie Stone at the Tokyo Olympics, reaching the A-Final. Wagner teamed up with Vitas for the 2022 world championships, making the A-Final and then in 2023 they stepped on, taking silver at World Rowing Cup II and bronze at the world championships. This season they’ve raced once, at the second World Rowing Cup, where they produced a dominant performance to take the gold (America’s first women’s openweight double gold medal since 2009).
About The Author
