While the Craftsbury A team hasn’t reached the Olympics yet they took an important first step in that direction on Tuesday at the Olympic Rowing Trials. The team led by Ben Davison and featuring 2012 Olympian Peter Graves along with Ben Dann and John Graves weren’t quite as quick as Sunday but their time of 6:05.09 was still almost five seconds ahead of the runner-up California A team and advanced them into an Olympic qualifying event in Lucerne, Switzerland from May 22nd to the 25th.

There are only two spots available in Lucerne (only 12 teams total reach the Olympics) so it’ll be a big challenge but they’ll have their chance to go for it. Their time will certainly need to improve as the qualifying times in 2012 were under 5:50.

Wednesday is a practice day at the Olympic Rowing Trials before time trials on Thursday will trim the field in one events and arrange the heats in others. The men’s single sculls field is 21-deep so they will trim to the top 14 on Thursday through the time trial. In the field for that event is 2012 Olympian Ken Jurkowski. The other events (women’s single sculls, men’s and women’s double sculls, men’s and women’s lightweight double sculls) will just feature time trials. The US has qualified for the Olympics in the three women’s events and the lightweight men’s double sculls. The men’s single and double sculls are both trying to advance to the same Olympic qualifying event the men’s quadruple sculls team will be competing at.

Also starting on Thursday will be the Paralympic Rowing Trials portion of the week. There are two competitors vying for the spot in both the men’s and women’s arms and shoulders single sculls category.

Previous Olympic Rowing Trials Coverage:
Preview
Day 1 Update