MARCUS McELHENNEY

Hometown: Lansdowne, Pa.

Current Residence: Princeton, N.J.

Club Affiliation: USRowing Training Center

Began Rowing: Monsignor Bonner High School, 1997

Date of Birth: 7/27/81 

Height: 5’4” 

Weight: 119

High School: Monsignor Bonner High School

Undergraduate Education: Temple University, 2003

Current Coaches: Gavin White, Mike Teti, Matt Imes

International Results: Finished fourth in the eight at the 2007 FISA World Championships...Won bronze in the eight at the 2006 FISA World Championships...Won gold in the eight at the 2006 Kiel Canal Cup...Won gold in the eight and silver in the four with coxswain at the 2005 FISA World Championships...Won bronze in the four with coxswain at the 2004 FISA World Championships...Finished second in the eight at the 2004 Kiel Canal Cup...Won gold in the four with coxswain at the 2003 FISA World Championships...Finished second in the eight at the 2003 Kiel Canal Cup...Finished second in the eight at the 2001 Nation’s Cup.

National Results: Won the eight and the four with coxswain at the 2007 USRowing National Championships...Won the championship eight at the 2006 Head of the Charles...Won the varsity eight at the Dad Vail Championships in 1999, 2000 and 2003...Won gold in the eight at the 2003 Head of the Charles...Finished second in the varsity eight at the 2002 Dad Vail Championships...Finished fifth in the varsity eight at the 1999 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships.

Personal: Marcus is a six-time senior national team member and first-time Olympian...Marcus enjoys running, reading and political activism...He enjoys 1980s rock, techno and house music, as well as classical and opera...He lists opera singer Maria Callas as one of his favorite singers...Marcus reads music and plays the piano...He is an avid reader and enjoys reading the classics...Marcus also enjoys kung fu movies...He lists his favorite movies as My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2...Marcus said he is not a hobby guy but is a creature of knowledge...He says “life is about doing new things,” so he always likes to try new things...He lists his most memorable sporting achievement as winning two medals at the 2005 World Championships in Gifu, Japan -- gold in the men’s eight and silver in the men’s four with coxswain...Marcus lists the most influential person in his sporting career as Dr. Gavin White, his coach at Temple...He is a Philadelphia Eagles and 76ers fan.

(updated 6/27/2008)