American rower Justin Best, a 26-year-old from Pennsylvania, has achieved his lifelong dream, leading the US men's four to a gold medal at the Olympics, their first victory in the event since the 1960 Rome Games.
The US crew, comprised of Best, Nick Mead, Michael Grady, and Liam Corrigan, dominated the 2000-meter course, finishing ahead of New Zealand and Great Britain with a comfortable margin. The win was a testament to their years of hard work and dedication.
"In high school, I wanted to see how far I could take this," Best explained to reporters. "I had the Olympics in the back of my mind, and even further back, a gold medal. After years of trials and tribulations, ups and downs, I can finally say I'm on the top of the podium."
Best's passion for rowing was evident from a young age. He even shared his Olympic aspirations with his then-girlfriend, a testament to his unwavering focus and commitment.
"It was a long-term goal," Best shared. "I told my first girlfriend, 'Hey, I want to go to the Olympics, and rowing is very important to me. If you want to go along with that, we can make this work.' I'm just glad to be able to stand here today and show that dreams can be accomplished. You just have to put your mind to it. You have to have the willingness to go deep, well beyond anyone's expectations of you."
The US team's dominance was evident throughout the race, leading at every split. However, this didn't lessen Best's joy at crossing the finish line.
"Crossing that finish line, I was just bawling my eyes out," he said. "Seeing the flag being raised, I love these guys, I love the United States of America, and I wouldn't want to do it with another group."
The American victory was one of four medal events held in a thrilling hour of Olympic regatta racing. New Zealand's Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors, both mothers since the last Olympics, claimed gold in the women's double sculls, edging Romania by a mere 0.24 seconds.
"They're definitely our superpower in the background," Spoors said, referring to her children who were watching from the stands. "Since Tokyo, we've both believed we could win this race. It's been a slow build, but to be here and finally do it in front of them, I can't believe it."
Romania took gold in the men's double sculls, defeating the Netherlands in a close race, with Ireland securing the bronze medal.
The Netherlands, after a fourth-place finish and a silver medal in previous races, finally claimed gold in the women's four final. They beat Great Britain in a nail-biting finish, winning by just 0.18 seconds.
"I just went, 'Keep rowing, keep rowing,' then I heard Hermijntje [Drenth] behind me: 'Guys, we won,'" Tinka Offereins of the Dutch team said. "I looked too late at the screen, and we were first. It was not normal. I can't believe it."
