Kirkland cyclist Jennie Reed finally won a medal — a silver — for the first time in three Olympics. Reed was part of the USA entry Saturday in women’s team pursuit while racing against a dominant Great Britain team that shattered its own world record. Another athlete with state ties, rower Scott Gault, won a bronze in the four.
The U.S. team of Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch and Lauren Tamayo (Reed took part in the semifinal and other preliminary rounds, thus earning her medal) finished the final race in 3:19.727 for silver, while Canada put together its best ride of the Olympics to earn the bronze.
The British team finished in 3:14.051, breaking its previous record 3:14.682. The Brits were so fast they nearly lapped the Americans.
The 5-foot-7, 170-pound Reed, who resides in Long Beach, CA., finished 10th out of 12 in the match sprint in 2004 in Athens and had a seventh-place showing in the same event in 2008 in Beijing. An Issaquah High graduate who attended the University of Washington, Reed took up racing at the Marymoor Velodrome.
Gault teamed with Glenn Ochal, Henrik Rummel and Charles Cole in winning the bronze in four. Great Britain won the race in 6:03.97. Australia finished second in 6:05.19. the Americans in 6:07.20.
The 6-foot-6, 206-pound Gault, a UW letter winner between 2003-05, finished fifth in quadruple sculls at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Medals By Washingtonians at 2012 Olympic Games
| Date | Athlete | Sport | Event | Connection | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/1 | Nathan Adrian | Swim | 100 free | Bremerton | Gold |
| 8/2 | Mary Whipple | Rowing | Eight | UW | Gold |
| 7/29 | Nathan Adrian | Swim | 4×100 relay | Bremerton | Silver |
| 8/1 | Rob Gibson | Rowing | *Eight | UW | Silver |
| 8/1 | Will Crothers | Rowing | *Eight | UW | Silver |
| 8/1 | Conlin McCabe | Rowing | *Eight | UW | Silver |
| 8/4 | Jennie Reed | Cycling | Pursuit | Kirkland | Silver |
| 7/30 | Marti Malloy | Judo | 57 KG | Oak Harbor | Bronze |
| 8/1 | Megan Kalmoe | Rowing | Quad Sculls | UW | Bronze |
| 8/1 | Adrienne Martelli | Rowing | Quad Sculls | UW | Bronze |
| 8/4 | Scott Gault | Rowing | Four | UW | Bronze |
*Represented Canada