Susan Francia
Women’s Eight/Women’s Pair

Birthplace: Szeged, Hungary
Hometown: Abington, Pa.
Residence: Princeton, N.J.
Club Affiliation: USRowing Training Center
Began Rowing: 2001
Date of Birth: 11/8/82
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 175
High School: Abington Senior High School
Undergraduate Education: University of Pennsylvania, 2004
Graduate Education: University of Pennsylvania, 2004
Training Location: Princeton, N.J.
Current Coach: Tom Terhaar
Years on National Team: Five – 2005-09, Senior

International Results: Won gold in the eight at the 2008 Olympic Games...Won gold in the eight at the 2008 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Finished sixth in the pair at the 2008 Rowing World Cup stop in Munich...Won gold in the eight at the 2007 World Rowing Championships...Won gold in the eight at the 2007 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Won bronze in the pair at the 2007 Rowing World Cup stop in Linz...Won gold in the eight and finished 12th in the double sculls at the 2006 World Rowing Championships...Finished seventh in the double sculls at the 2006 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Won the Remenham Cup at the 2006 Henley Royal Regatta...Finished eighth in the double sculls at the 2006 Rowing World Cup stop in Munich...Finished fourth in the eight at the 2005 World Rowing Championships...Won bronze in the eight at the 2005 Rowing World Cup stop in Munich.

National Results: Won the pair at the 2009 World Championships Trials…Won gold in the eight at the 2009 USRowing National Championships…Finished second in the pair at the 2009 National Selection Regatta #2…Finished second in the pair at the second 2008 National Selection Regatta...Won the championship eight at the 2007 Head of the Charles...Won the eight and finished third in the pair at the 2007 USRowing National Championships...Won the championship eight at the 2006 Head of the Charles...Won the double sculls at the second 2006 National Selection Regatta...Won the championship eight at the 2005 Head of the Charles...Finished second in the four with coxswain at the 2004 Head of the Charles...Finished second in the four at the 2004 World Championships Trials.

Personal: Susan was a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division I All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. She loves the water; she enjoys swimming, boogie boarding and jet-skiing. Susan speaks Hungarian. Her most memorable moment in sports is the 2008 Olympic Games final in the eight. Susan attributes her work ethic and perseverance to her parents.  She blames her sense of humor and love of pranks on her father. Her favorite sport to watch is track and field, and she used to watch Formula One auto racing on Eurosport with her grandmother in Hungary. Her favorite movies include The Big Lebowski, American Psycho and Scarface.  Susan hopes to get into extreme sports in Southern California after the 2009 World Rowing Championships. She dreams of living in a quiet neighborhood on Coronado Island with a yard and a grill.