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
Molly Reckford (B)
Michelle Sechser (S)
Average Age
35 years
Olympic Record
Fifth in the LW2x at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games (Reckford and Sechser)
2024 Competitive Record
World Rowing Cup 1: N/A
World Rowing Cup 2: 3rd (LW2x)
World Rowing Cup 3: N/A
European Championships: N/A
The Profile
The Americans have come closer than anyone to breaking the British run of victories. At the Lucerne World Rowing Cup last season, they got within 8/100th of Craig/Grant, but ultimately just came up short. The pairing of Reckford and Sechser raced together at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing one place behind the British. In 2022 they won the second World Rowing Cup and then took silver at the world championships. The USA took silver again in 2023 (with Sechser racing with Mary Jones and Reckford racing in the quad). This season, they’ve made one appearance, taking bronze behind GB and New Zealand at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup. 2024 is Sechser’s 12th season as a senior international and she won her first world championship medal (a bronze) back in 2017. Reckford started her senior career in 2019 but didn’t become a regular member of the team until Olympic year in 2021.
About The Author
