THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN ROWING and then took a long paddle in the afternoon. During this period, we never paddled at less than 24. “For the four-mile race we had rowed about 34 for the first minute and rowed the balance of the race at 28 or 29, though we were prepared to row at 30 if we had to. “In the Olympic distance we planned to row about 39 or 40 for the first full minute, drop down slowly, row about a full minute in the middle of the race at about 35 and then work on up. 1924 Olympic Trials “We went to Philadelphia and stayed out in the country in a big house owned by a Yale graduate. “In the first heat on the 13th, for two or three strokes on the dog-leg turn our oars overlapped with the Navy Junior Varsity, and we were nearly put out of the race. In that heat, we beat the Navy Varsity, the Na- vy Jayvee and Undine Barge Club. “The other heat consisted of MIT, Penn- sylvania [their undefeated jayvee, which had trained all year for the 2,000 meter dis- tance], New York AC, and the Navy gradu- ates – the 1920 Olympic Crew.1810”1811 The following day, according to The New York Times: “the blue-tipped blades of Yale’s powerful Eight swept down the haze- covered Schuylkill this evening a half-length ahead of the Navy officers in the Olympic rowing final, thus earning the right to repre- sent America on the Seine next month. 1810 “members of Navy’s 1920 Olympic Gold Medal-winning crew bolstered by the Academy’s undefeated 1922 crew, a boat confidently assem- bled three months earlier to defend their Olympic title.” – Stephen S. Gurney, Yale ‘55, Letter to the Editor, Yale Alumni Magazine, October 1998, p. 4 1811 Spock, pp. 2-3 “More than twenty thousand rowing en- thusiasts saw Yale cover the mile and a quarter in 5 minutes 51 seconds, a new course record and probably a new world’s record. “Yale got away to a 38 stroke, settled down to a 36, but when the Navy officers started to spurt with 38 at the half-mile mark, coxswain Stoddard called for a little more snap, and the Eli stroke again went up to 38. “After passing the trolley bridge, the thousands on the banks started to yell for their favorites, with sentiment divided be- tween Yale and Navy. “At the head of Peter’s Island, which is a quarter-mile from the finish, Yale still had a lead of more than half a length. The Navy officers, with the husky Frawley at stroke, got as high as 40 in the last 200 yards and almost drew up on even terms with Coach Leader’s men, but the latter kept well to their course and, by applying power and skill, flashed over the line a winner to the cheers of thousands. “So close was the finish between Yale and the Navy officers that the official timers got but 1.2 seconds between the two eights. “It was a titanic struggle between the two greatest sprint crews in America. The Navy officers, several of whom had come from all parts of the United States in order to try for Olympic honors again, gave all they had, but it was not quite enough to stave off the polished and more perfect rowing of the Elis, with the skillful A.D. Lindley of Min- neapolis in the stroke seat. “As soon as the Yale Eight went over the line and the oarsmen were sure that they had won, they slapped one another on the back. “Captain J.S. Rockefeller was con- gratulated on all sides when the crew re- turned to the Penn boathouse, and Leader also came in for great praise. 481
