VAIRES-SUR-MARNE, France (AP) — When Liam Corrigan yelled out “red!” entering the final stages of the regatta, the rest of the American crew knew it was time to go hard.
They all gave it an extra push, picking up the pace just in time to fend off an attack from their rivals and secure the United States its first rowing gold medal in the men’s four class since 1960. It also was the first rowing gold for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics.
Corrigan, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Nick Mead won the elusive gold on Thursday by beating out New Zealand and defending world champion Britain.
“When you make that call, ‘red!,’ you see ‘red,’” Best said. “You put your bowball out in front, some of the bigger strokes that you take in the race. Liam made that call ‘red!’ and I went with him, and I know Nick went and I could see Brady going because he’s right in front of me.
“That was enough to kind of like double that move and take us into our sprint,” he said. “So it was pretty flawless execution on the call. And we trusted each other to all make that move together. And it was effective.”
The last time the U.S. men’s four had stood on the Olympic podium was in 2012 in London, where it won bronze.
All four Americans who got the gold on Thursday were at the Tokyo Games three years ago but left without any medals. Best, Mead and Corrigan finished fourth in the eight class and Grady finished fifth in the four.
The four rowers have been together since last season, winning silver at the world championships last year and gold at the world cup race in Lucerne earlier this year.
“It’s literally unbelievable,” Corrigan said. “I crossed the line, I thought I was going to have some kind of celebration, but I was just in disbelief, like my hands were on my head. It was just crazy.”
In the men’s double sculls, Ben Davison and Sorin Koszyk came up short of a medal, finishing fourth.
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