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Vincent Breet

Men’s Heavyweight Crew: Coxless Four Boat, South Africa

One of just three current undergraduates who will be representing the Crimson in Rio de Janeiro this summer, rising senior Vincent Breet will be part of the South African Coxless Four Boat looking to take home the gold medal.

Breet is no stranger to international competition, racking up years of experience competing for South Africa before suiting up for the Crimson. The South African decided to take the past year off prior to the Olympics to focus all his attention on training in his homeland.

The Alberton, South Africa native began representing his home country at the 2012 World rowing Junior Championships, competing with the coxed four boat that took 10th place overall.

The 2010 competition was the first of a steady stream of apperances in the South African boat for Breet, who transitioned to pair rowing at the 2011 World Junior Championships, taking home sixth place overall.

After placing second overall in the Men’s Pair at the U23 World Rowing Championships in 2012, Breet made his World Rowing Cup debut at the 2013 edition in Lucerne, Switzerland, clocking the fourth fastest time in the Men’s Pair final. The rising senior also took home the 2013 U23 World Rowing Championship Men’s Pair title just a few weeks later before joining the Crimson.

Breet’s impact was immediate for Harvard, as the then-freshman–the first ever first year to row with the Varsity team–rowed fifth seat on the first Varsity Eight all season, helping them take home second place at the IRA National Championships.

The South African’s international achievements continued to grow, as Breet advanced to the finals of the Henley Royal Regatta in a pair while representing Tuks Rowing Club in the 2014 summer. The Harvard athlete also made his first appearance at the World Rowing Championships, taking home the bronze medal in the Men’s Pair to go along with a fifth place finish in the same event at the World Rowing Cup.

Just a year later–after once again rowing the fifth seat in the first Varsity Eight for Harvard in his sophomore year–Breet moved to the men’s four, taking home the C final at the 2015 World Rowing Championships and competing at the 2015 Rowing World Cup. It’s in this event that Breet will compete in after helping South Africa take sixth in the 2016 World Rowing Cup and first at the 2016 FISA European and Final Olympic Qualification Regatta.

Breet and the South African boat will start competition in Rio on August 8 in Heat 3, competing against Greece, France, and powerhouse Great Britain in their quest for an Olympic medal.

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