USRowing is pleased to announce that the American Arbitration Association has found in favor of USRowing in Case No. 30 190 259 07, confirming USRowing’s right to select its boats of four or more people through an open selection camp process.

The Arbitration Panel’s ruling stated:

"USRowing may use, and the USOC acted within its governing law in approving, a camp selection process as described in the 2008 Selection Procedures for selecting crews in the sport of rowing. USRowing developed its procedures in a thoughtful and analytical manner. It had the input of athletes, former athletes, and members of the rowing community. USRowing and its HPC are acknowledged experts in the sport of rowing in the United States. There has been no showing of a lack of rational basis for their decision, and this Panel declines to alter, in any way, this policy decision of USRowing and the USOC."

“We are very pleased with this decision,” said Steve Smith, USRowing’s legal counsel. “The ruling affirms USRowing’s position all along – the use of a camp selection process does not deny athletes the opportunity to compete and is a perfectly valid method of selecting the Olympic team.” 

In fact, the Arbitration Panel specifically noted “that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrated that USRowing was exceedingly rational and analytical in determining the process that would best select large boats to compete in the Olympic Games.”

“I am hopeful that this is a final outcome in what has been a lengthy, disruptive campaign,” said USRowing Executive Director Glenn Merry. “We look forward to focusing our attention to the important work of winning medals in Beijing.”

The ruling also states that “this claim has been fully heard on the merits and shall not be eligible to be heard again until and unless USRowing substantially alters its Selection Procedures … No Claimant nor any Affected Athlete may bring a facial challenge to the use of a camp selection process as set out in the USRowing Athlete Selection Procedures, Beijing Games, 2008, September 19, 2007.”

“The arbitrators are crystal clear – the claim has been fully heard on its merits and cannot be heard again until USRowing changes its selection procedures,” Smith said. “We are grateful that this prolonged challenge has once and for all been put to rest.”

USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing’s Official Sponsor is Johnson & Johnson; its Official Suppliers are Hudson Boat Works, NIKE, Inc., and Rosetta Stone; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; its Official Registrar is RegattaCentral; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation.

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Link to Arbitration Information Page