Former Oarsman Gets Scull-Ride to Olympics

Former Harvard crew star Andy Sudduth '85 has earned a trip to Seoul, South Korea, as the United States' entry in Olympic single-scull rowing.

Sudduth qualified for the Games in the U.S. Olympic trials held June 11 on Harsha Lake in Bantam, Ohio. The sculler finished the 2000-meter course in just 6:45.47, more than 6 1/2 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor.

By winning the race, Sudduth earned the right to wear the red, white and blue in Olympic competition for the second time. He earned a silver medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Games when he rowed on the U.S. eight which placed second behind the Canadian crew.

Sudduth earned a name for himself as an outstanding oarsman in Cambridge when he helped lead the Crimson to national titles in the Cincinnati Regattas in 1983 and again in 1985.

After graduating in 1985 with a degree in computer science, Sudduth gave up crew and took up single sculls. Considered the finest sculler in the world, he is favored to bring a gold medal home from Seoul. Sudduth beat three-time gold medalist Pertti Karpinnen of Finland in a regatta in Italy earlier this year.

Sudduth has said that he will return to Harvard after the Olympics to complete his studies for a masters degree in Computer Science. He had postponed those studies in order to train for the Games.