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Susan Francia

Susan Francia 

Women’s Eight

Birthplace: Szeged, Hungary 

Hometown: Abington, Pa. 

Current Residence: Princeton, N.J. 

Club Affiliation: USRowing Training Center - Princeton

Began Rowing: University of Pennsylvania, 2001 

Date of Birth: 11/8/82 

Height: 6’2” 

Weight: 175 

High School: Abington Senior High School 

Undergraduate Education: University of Pennsylvania, B.A. Criminology, 2004 

Graduate Education: University of Pennsylvania, M.S. Sociology, 2004 

Training Location: Princeton, N.J. 

Current Coach: Tom Terhaar 

Years on National Team: Eight – 2005-12, Senior 

International Results: Won silver in the quadruple sculls at the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup I...Won gold in the eight at the 2012 Olympic Games...Won gold and set a world record (5:54.17) in the heat in the eight at the 2012 Samsung World Rowing Cup II...Won gold in the eight at the 2011 World Rowing Championships...Finished fourth in the pair at the 2011 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne...Won the Remenham Challenge Cup and set the course record at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta...Took silver in the pair at the 2011 Rowing World Cup stop in Munich...Took bronze in the pair at the 2010 World Rowing Championships...Won gold in the eight and took silver in the pair at the 2010 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne…Took bronze in the pair at the 2010 Rowing World Cup stop in Bled…Won gold in the eight and pair at the 2009 World Rowing Championships…Won gold in the eight at the 2009 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne…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...Took bronze in the pair at the 2007 Rowing World Cup stop in Linz...Won gold and set the world record (5:55.50) 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: Finished fifth in the pair at the 2012 National Selection Regatta #1...Won the pair at the 2011 National Selection Regatta #2...Won the pair at all three of the 2010 National Selection Regattas…Won the championship eight at the 2009 Head of the Charles Regatta…Won the pair at the 2009 World Championships Trials…Finished second in the pair at the 2008 National Selection Regatta #2...Won the championship eight at the 2007 Head of the Charles Regatta...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 Regatta...Won the double sculls at the 2006 National Selection Regatta #2...Won the championship eight at the 2005 Head of the Charles Regatta... Finished second in the four with coxswain at the 2004 Head of the Charles Regatta...Finished second in the four at the 2004 World Senior and Junior Championships Trials. 

Personal: Susan was awarded USRowing's Female Athlete of the Year in 2010...Susan was awarded World Rowing’s Female Crew of the Year in 2008 and 2009, along with boatmate Erin Cafaro…She loves the water and enjoys swimming, boogie boarding and jet-skiing…Susan speaks Hungarian…Her most memorable moment in sports is winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in the eight…Susan attributes her work ethic and perseverance to her parents, and 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…Susan’s favorite movies include The Big Lebowski, American Psycho and Piranha 3-D…She recently signed with Wilhelmina Models, along with teammate Giuseppe Lanzone…Susan dreams of eventually living next to the beach in San Diego.