Churchill Grad Watches Olympic Bronze Drift Away

A Winston Churchill High School graduate was within a fraction of a second of winning an Olympic medal in the men’s eight rowing competition Wednesday, according to a Gazette report.

David Banks, a two-time Olympian, and his team missed winning the Olympic bronze by .3 seconds, watching as Great Britain finished just ahead to snag third place.

Germany won the gold medal  with a time of 5 minutes, 48.75 seconds, with Canada finishing second at 5:49.98. Great Britain finished with a time of 5:51.18, just ahead of the Americans who crossed the finish at 5:51.48.

Another local Olympian, Bethesda native Katie Ledecky, 15, finished first in her heat and third overall in London Thursday, swimming in the women's 800m freestyle qualifying heats. in the women's 800m freestyle. The event will be televised in the U.S. at 2:43 p.m. Eastern Time.