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Henrik Rummel ‘09

Men’s Heavyweight Crew: Coxless Four Boat, USA

Despite being born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Harvard grad Henrik Rummel ’09 will find himself donning the USA colors for the second times at the Olympics when he competes in Rio as part of the men’s Coxless Four Boat, but Rummel is no stranger to representing the Stars and Stripes.

After moving to the United States in 2000, it took only four years for the Copenhagen native to be chosen as a representative for the US at the international level. Rummel competed in both 2004 and 2005 as part of the men’s eight at the World Junior Rowing Championships. After taking fifth in 2004, Rummel helped the United States take home the title in 2005.

Soon after, Rummel joined the Crimson, helping the freshman eight take third place at the EARC sprints and fifth at the IRA National Championships in 2006. The next year, the then-sophomore transitioned to the first Varsity Eight, helping the team take second place at the IRA National Championships and the Ladies Plate Challenge at the Henley Royal Regatta while garnering first-team All-Ivy honors.

After his junior campaign with Harvard, Rummel returned to the international stage, representing the USA at the U23 World Rowing Championships, helping the US take home first place in the men’s eight.

After finishing his collegiate career undefeated in the varsity eight in the comfort of the Charles River, Rummel began his prolific international career with the US by taking seventh in the men’s eight at the 2009 World Rowing Cup and first in the men’s pair with coxswain at the 2009 World Rowing Championships.

Rummel continued in 2010 by finishing fifth in the men’s four at the World Rowing Championships before being a Grand Challenge Cup semifinalist at the 2011 Henley, fourth in the men’s eight at the 2011 World Rowing Cup, and eighth in the men’s eight at World Rowing Championships.

Four consecutive years of international competition with the US culminated in Rummel’s first ever Olympic appearance at the 2012 London games, where he helped the US men’s four take home the bronze medal.

Since London, Rummel has established himself as a stalwart in the men’s four for the US, taking home third and first at the 2013 World Rowing Championships and World Rowing Cup, respectively. In 2014, Rummel led the US to second and third at the World Rowing Championships and World Rowing Cup before returning to his winning ways in the 2015 edition of the World Rowing Cup.

Rummel and the US defended their title this year at the World Rowing Cup I and took fourth at the World Rowing Cup II leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where they will begin their quest for another medal against Belarus, Canada, and Italy in Heat 2.

–Staff writer Julio Fierro can be reached at julio.fierro@thecrimson.com.