Scott Frandsen
Encyclopedia
Scott Frandsen is a Canadian
rower of Swedish and Danish descent.
, British Columbia
, Canada
, he began rowing at age 16 at Brentwood College (High School), in British Columbia, Canada.
He rowed for four years at the University of California, Berkeley
. His freshman boat in 1999, coached by Craig Amerkhanian
finished second at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association
championship, which serves as the national championship race for men's collegiate rowing in the USA. In 2000, 2001, and 2002, he was in the varsity eight man boat, which won the IRA championship each year. In 2000 and 2001, his boats were undefeated and are considered by many as the fastest collegiate boats ever.
In 2003, he went to Oxford University for graduate work. There he rowed for the University in the Oxford Blue Boat against rivals Cambridge in the world-famous Boat Race. Despite their diminutive stature his Oxford crew won a dramatic Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race
by the smallest ever recorded margin (one foot), and in so winning, they overturned the biggest weight deficit in the history of the contest. They achieved this by over-rating and out-racing their heavier Cambridge counterparts on the outside of the long Surrey bend through the middle of the race. This took considerable guts and fortitude, and the attitude the crew exemplified in doing so was reflective of Frandsen's natural tenacity and stubbornness. Commentators cite this tenacity as the main factor allowing the Oxford crew to upset the much bigger, more powerful and more experienced 2003 Cambridge boat.
Frandsen went on to row that summer with one of his Cambridge
rivals from the 2003 Boat Race, Wayne Pommen, at the 2003 Rowing World Championships in Milan
. The Boat Race pairing took sixth place for Canada in a hotly contested final of the coxless pairs event.
The following year Frandsen pursued selection for the 2004 Athens Olympics
. He won two gold medals on the 2004 World Cup circuit, both in the Men's Eight event (in Munich
, Germany
and in Lucerne
, Switzerland
). At the 2004 Summer Olympics
he was in the Canadian Men's Eight (M8+) which was the favourite for the event. His boat narrowly lost out to the Americans in the Heat, with both crews going under the previous World Record time. Come the Final the Canadians had a disappointing row and finished out of the medals in fifth place.
In 2005, Frandsen was again in the Canadian Men's Eight. This time, his boat finished seventh at the World Championships held in Gifu-Nagaragawa, Japan. After a frustrating couple of years in the Canadian National Team system, at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China
Scott won a silver medal
in the Men's coxless pair with Dave Calder
. It was Canada's first medal
of the Games.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rower of Swedish and Danish descent.
Biography
Born in KelownaKelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he began rowing at age 16 at Brentwood College (High School), in British Columbia, Canada.
He rowed for four years at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. His freshman boat in 1999, coached by Craig Amerkhanian
Craig Amerkhanian
Craig Amerkhanian is a Pac-10 champion oarsman and rowing coach at Stanford University. Amerkhanian also has placed numerous athletes on National, Olympic and "Boat Race" teams. He was an all PAC 10 oarsman at Cal and graduated in 1980 with a degree in History...
finished second at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...
championship, which serves as the national championship race for men's collegiate rowing in the USA. In 2000, 2001, and 2002, he was in the varsity eight man boat, which won the IRA championship each year. In 2000 and 2001, his boats were undefeated and are considered by many as the fastest collegiate boats ever.
In 2003, he went to Oxford University for graduate work. There he rowed for the University in the Oxford Blue Boat against rivals Cambridge in the world-famous Boat Race. Despite their diminutive stature his Oxford crew won a dramatic Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race
The Boat Race
The event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
by the smallest ever recorded margin (one foot), and in so winning, they overturned the biggest weight deficit in the history of the contest. They achieved this by over-rating and out-racing their heavier Cambridge counterparts on the outside of the long Surrey bend through the middle of the race. This took considerable guts and fortitude, and the attitude the crew exemplified in doing so was reflective of Frandsen's natural tenacity and stubbornness. Commentators cite this tenacity as the main factor allowing the Oxford crew to upset the much bigger, more powerful and more experienced 2003 Cambridge boat.
Frandsen went on to row that summer with one of his Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
rivals from the 2003 Boat Race, Wayne Pommen, at the 2003 Rowing World Championships in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. The Boat Race pairing took sixth place for Canada in a hotly contested final of the coxless pairs event.
The following year Frandsen pursued selection for the 2004 Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. He won two gold medals on the 2004 World Cup circuit, both in the Men's Eight event (in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and in Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
). At the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
he was in the Canadian Men's Eight (M8+) which was the favourite for the event. His boat narrowly lost out to the Americans in the Heat, with both crews going under the previous World Record time. Come the Final the Canadians had a disappointing row and finished out of the medals in fifth place.
In 2005, Frandsen was again in the Canadian Men's Eight. This time, his boat finished seventh at the World Championships held in Gifu-Nagaragawa, Japan. After a frustrating couple of years in the Canadian National Team system, at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Scott won a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the Men's coxless pair with Dave Calder
David Calder (rower)
David Calder or Dave Calder is a Canadian rower. He was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He graduated from Brentwood College School in 1996....
. It was Canada's first medal
Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Canada, which is represented by the Canadian Olympic Committee , competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China, from August 8 to 24, 2008. Canadian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except the 1980 Summer Olympics which they boycotted...
of the Games.
External links
- Profile at Rowing Canada