Newport Woman Wins Gold Medal in Rowing

Esther Lofgren of Newport Beach was among the U.S. crew that won the gold medal today in the Olympics women's eight rowing race at the Eton Dorney Rowing Centre in Buckinghamshire, England.

The U.S. team completed the 2,000-meter course in six minutes, 10.59 seconds. Canada was second in 6:12.06 and the Netherlands third in 6:13.12. The 27-year-old Lofgren graduated from Newport Harbor High School in 2003 and Harvard University in 2009, majoring in economics. Her parents, Karl and Christine, were both elite rowers.

"I am so proud to be representing my country and I know that when we take that first stroke, we are each going to feel the hundreds of legs of everyone who has helped us get there pushing right with ours,'' Lofgren wrote on her blog, which can be found at www.estherlofgren.blogspot.com.

The race will be shown on a delayed basis between 1:20-2 p.m. on NBC4. Lofgren was part of the crew that won world championships in 2010 and 2011.

-City News Service.