But Howard injured his rib shortly after he returned to training and wound up back in the eight.
In 2010, he gave it another go and took fourth place at the World Cup stop in Lucerne, Switzerland. This summer, Howard again made the finals at Lucerne and placed fifth.
For nearly everyone in the world, these results would represent success. But not for Howard and not for the Canadian national team.
“As a federation and as a country, it’s quite important that we win medals,” he said.
And so this July, the decision was made for Howard to move back into the eight, where he was welcomed back with open arms.
“He’s amazing in the eight,” said Conlin McCabe, Howard’s pair partner at this year’s world championships. “We’re really happy that he decided to join our project.”
A little over a month after Howard joined the eight, Canada took bronze in the world championships.
“We have some really strong guys, and we haven’t spent that much time together rowing,” McCabe said. “We can make some big leaps and bounds.”
As one of the most experienced members of the boat, Howard has emerged as one of the team’s leaders.
“Malcolm has a massive presence, and it’s not just because he’s a big guy,” McCabe said. “He’s a natural leader on the team.”
One of the youngest members of the 2008 eight, Howard is now excited to work with younger athletes such as McCabe, who was part of the Huskies’ 2011 national champion varsity eight.
“The guy sitting in front of me … is one of the strongest guys on the erg in North America,” Howard remarked. “When you’re rowing with someone like that, it’s exciting.”
The 21-year-old McCabe has embraced the chance to work with a rower he used to admire.
“Before I ever met Malcolm, I looked up to him,” McCabe said. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s so strong’ … I wanted to be there, competing with him on the erg. I thought “I’m rowing with Malcolm, I’m going to bring my A game.’”
It’s a sentiment shared by everyone who has rowed with Howard. The king of the engine room, Howard raises the bar and makes everyone around him better.
—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.