Hansen, U.S. PR3Mix4+ Advance To Paralympics A Final With Heat Win

Washington alumna Danielle Hansen '17 began her pursuit of another Paralympic Games medal with a win in heat one of the PR3 mixed four with coxswain Thursday on the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo. The victory in the heat means that Hansen and her U.S. crew have advanced directly to the A final on Saturday.
 
The Americans grabbed the lead right from the start, followed closely in the first portion of the race by Australia. By 500 meters, the U.S. crew had an open water lead over every other boat beside the Aussies, who were only just barely still in contact.
 
In the second 500, Hansen's crew extended its lead and gave itself an easy second half of the race.
 
The U.S. won the race with a time of 7:19.97, a new Paralympic best time. Australia and Israel finished second and third.
 
Hansen is the only returning member of the U.S. PR3Mix4+ crew, which won the silver medal in the same event in 2016 in Rio. She's also won five silver medals in World Championship regattas. 
 
Great Britain, the gold medal winner in each of those events, won heat two (breaking the Americans' Paralympics best time with a time of 7:09.44), joining the U.S. in automatically qualifying for the A final. The other 10 entries in the PR3Mix4+ competition will also have to row in a repechage on Friday.
 
The A final is scheduled for a 7:50 p.m. PT start on Saturday (Sunday morning in Tokyo).