Hare and Roman to Represent Canada for a Second Time at the Olympics

TOKYO – The Washington State rowing team will have two alumni competing at the XXXII Olympic summer games in Tokyo, as Nicole Hare and Lisa Roman will both represent Canada at the Olympics for the second time in their career.

Fellow WSU alum Ivy Elling Quintance was also selected as a spare for Canada's Olympic rowing team, however she did not make the trip to Tokyo. Hare and Roman previously represented Canada at the XXXI Olympic summer games in Rio de Janeiro, where Hare rowed in the women's pairs boat and Roman was with the women's eight.

Roman, who was the first WSU rower inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame back in 2019, will be competing in the women's eight for the second time in her Olympic career. She helped the Canadians finish fifth in the women's eight at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Roman competed with the Cougar varsity rowing team for three seasons, rowing in the varsity boat all three years (2010-12). She is a two-time all-conference honoree, and in 2012 was named to the CRCA All-West Region First Team and the Pocock All-America Second Team. In 2015-16, Roman was named to the Pac-12's All-Century Women's Rowing Team. Roman has been competing with the Canadian National Team since 2014.

"You know what you're getting yourself into a bit more the second time around," expressed Roman. "You have a better idea of the entire picture. I feel like there is a little bit more intensity in everything when you train for a second Olympics, because you know what you want out of it. For me, I am going into this wanting to win a medal and I feel like we are capable of doing that."

Hare will be rowing in the women's four race in Tokyo after competing in the women's pair in Rio, where she placed 14th overall. Hare was a member of the Cougar varsity rowing team for four seasons, rowing in the varsity boat all four years (2013-17). She was a three-time CRCA All-Region 5 honoree, picking up first team honors in 2014 and second team in 2015 and 2017. In both 2014 and 2015, Hare was named CRCA Division I All-America Second Team.

"We're super excited to get to Tokyo," said Hare. "We're excited to get back to work and show the world what we've been doing during COVID. There is a huge sense of purpose this year and (being at the Olympics) will be different this time because teams didn't have a normal build up to the races."

The Washington State rowing program has been represented at each of the last four Olympic games, as a total of four former WSU alumni have made an Olympic roster during that time. Beth Rodford was the first WSU alumni to compete at the Olympics, as she represented Great Britain at the 2008 and 2012 games.

Hare will begin on July 23, as she will race in the first heat of the women's four race at 7:20 p.m. PT. Roman and the Canadian women's eight boat will start on July 24, with heats getting underway at 7:20 p.m. PT. Click here for a full schedule of rowing events at the XXXII Olympic summer games.

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