LINZ, Austria — Marietta College alum and U.S. Olympic rowing alternate Andrew Bolton '02 (Old Lyme, Conn.) helped his country win a gold medal at the 2008 FISA World Rowing Championships Sunday (July 27) in the men's lightweight eight. [World Rowing Championships web site]

Coxswain Ned DelGuercio (Media, Pa.), Matt Muffelman (Mathews, Va.), Tom Paradiso (Blue Bell, Pa.), Will Daly (Vail, Colo.), Patrick Todd (Cincinnati, Ohio), Mike Altman (Marin County, Calif.), Colin Farrell (Oaklyn, N.J.), Bolton and Simon Carcagno (Pennington, N.J.) took over first place with a charge midway through the race. The shell then held off the competition with a solid sprint to the line to win the gold. The U.S. crossed the line in 5:50.29. Germany placed second after finishing in 5:51.69, while defending World Champion The Netherlands took third with a time of 5:52.37. Italy, which finished in 5:53.46, placed fourth, Poland, which finished in 5:55.11, placed fifth and Canada, which finished in 5:56.55, placed sixth.

The event was Bolton's sixth international rowing appearance. In addition to this year's gold medal in the men's lightweight eight at the FISA World Rowing Championships, he has had his share of success in international competition. In 2007, Bolton helped the U.S. qualify for the Olympics in the lightweight men's four with an 11th place finish at the FISA World Rowing Championships. He also won a silver medal in the lightweight four at the 2007 Pan American Games and finished sixth in the lightweight four at the 2007 FISA World Cup event in Linz, Austria. In 2006, Bolton finished 11th in the lightweight men's pair at the FISA World Championships. His initial international experience came in 2003 when he won a silver medal in the lightweight eight at the 2003 FISA World Championships.

Bolton and the U.S. now turn their attention to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The U.S. Olympic Rowing Team is comprised of 45 athletes, including 10 multiple-time Olympians, as well as nine alternates, including Bolton. The U.S. Olympic Rowing Team will have crews competing in the women's single sculls, men's single sculls, women's double sculls, men's double sculls, lightweight women's double sculls, women's quadruple sculls, men's quadruple sculls, women's pair, men's pair, men's four, lightweight men's four, women's eight and men's eight.

Rowing at the 2008 Olympic Games starts August 9; finals will take place August 16-17. The competition's setting will be the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, located in Mapo Town in the Shunyi district of Beijing.