Silver Medalist Returns to Harvard

Senior Caryn Davies has had an eventful few months, to say the least.

In August, the Ithaca, N.Y., native captured an Olympic silver medal as member of the United States’ women’s eight. She spent a few days living it up in Greece, but returned home and reentered Harvard.

“I think I missed writing papers the least,” Davies said.

Senior Caryn Davies has had an eventful few months to say the least.

In August, the Ithaca, N.Y., native captured a silver medal as member of the United States’ women’s eight. She spent a few days living it up in Greece, then returned home and reentered Harvard after a year off.

“I think I missed writing papers the least,” Davies said.

But simply coming back to school has, by no stretch of the imagination, meant coming back to mundane existence.

This past Monday, Davies and the rest of America’s representatives at the 2004 Olympics were invited to Washington, D.C., to meet President Bush.

After munching on pastries and sipping coffee on the South Lawn, all the athletes lined up for a group photo.

“The White House visit was actually rather anti-climactic,” Davies said.

They stood in formation for almost half an hour before President Bush showed up, and when he did, according to Davies, he made a five-minute speech, got his picture taken, shook the hands of some people in the front row, and left. “I was rather bitter that the President couldn’t even take the time to shake my hand,” Davies lamented. “In previous years President Clinton did a receiving line and shook the hand of every single Olympian...Some of my friends and I were joking that if [Bush] didn’t have time to shake our hands, the very least he could do is line us up so that he can sprint past and do a running high-five.”

Back in Cambridge on Tuesday, Davies herself welcomed Olympic visitors of her own. Seven members of the Dutch national crew and one coach arrived fresh off a silver-medal performance of their own in Athens, and took up residence in Davies’ spacious Eliot House room, “Ground Zero.”

“They brought all of their luggage into the common room, and it was all orange Olympic suitcases,” senior and Ground Zero roommate Brandon Presser said. “The common room was instantly covered with, like, 20 bags.”

It took the Dutch little time to settle in.

“We had random Playboys in the room, and as soon as they got here they turned on the TV and flipped through the Playboys,” Presser said. “They were like, ‘Hey. Playboys.’”

“It’s the ‘Women of Starbucks’ issue,” Presser added for good measure.

Since one Ground Zero roommate is studying abroad this semester, there was an open bedroom available for all of them. Davies and Co. were able to borrow spare beds from storage and stack and squeeze them into position.

“It looks like a hostel, basically,” Presser said.

“I’d like to give a huge shout out to my roommates for putting up with all the commotion this week and also to [Eliot House Co-Master] Lino Pertile and [Assistant to the Co-Masters] Sue Weltman for letting the coach stay in the Matthiessen Room,” Davies said.

Whether striding through the Eliot courtyard or getting a cone of “fro-yo” in the dining hall, the enormous Dutch athletes have attracted much attention.

“I was surprised to come down the stairs and see huge men speaking Dutch,” said junior Elizabeth A. Goldschmidt.

“I do feel like the shortest person ever when I hang out with them,” Presser confessed.

“It’s been a huge crush to my self esteem. The shortest guy is like six inches taller than me, and one of the guys is like 6’8.” Davies, who stands at 6’4, has felt more at ease.

“The other students in Eliot might feel intimidated but I’m right in my element!” she said.

Aside from startling Eliot residents, the visitors from Holland have been good from other things.

“It’s great having the Dutch guys here. They’re fun to hang out with, they’re very polite, and they really appreciate being able to stay so close to the river for free,” Davies said. “I’m currently taking Dutch A so I’m studying for my class and having fun at the same time.”

The men from the Netherlands have also happened to be present for the Red Sox-Yankees American League Championship Series.

“I watched the game [Wednesday] night with them and tried to explain the whole the huge drama with the Sox over the last 100 years, and they were having none of it,” Presser said.

It seems you can take the rower out of Holland, but you can’t take the Holland out of the rower.

The Dutch will be competing in the Championship Eight race on Sunday at 3:09, the second last race of the regatta. On Saturday, their temporary roommate will take to the water, racing in the Championship Single event at 4:23, the last event of that day.

Davies has elected to pick up another oar this fall, and will put off rejoining the Radcliffe eight for a little while longer. She believes that working with two oars gives a rower better feel for the water and improves technique when interspersed with regular rowing. Going into the Head, Davies has begun to step up her preparation.

“Originally I was taking a very relaxed approach. I was taking lots of rest and party time after the Olympics. That is, until three weeks ago when I did a practice race and got my ass handed to me on a silver platter by Anne Browning ’00 [who is also racing in the Championship Singles event]. That was a bit of a wake-up call. So since then I’ve been training more than I planned to, but still not all-out,” Davies said.

With upwards of a few hundred thousand spectators expected this weekend, plenty of people will the get the chance to watch the Olympic medallist in action.

“We’re definitely happy to have her back in Cambridge rowing,” Radcliffe heavyweight captain Heather Schofield said. “It’s good to see her having fun in a single…I’m sure she needs a little break after her endeavor this summer and all the training she did.”

Regardless of her finish, Davies is back, rowing on the Charles, and living it up.

“I definitely don’t expect to win this weekend; I just want to get out there and have a good time racing in the single as a change of pace from the eight,” Davies said. “My goal for this weekend is simply not to embarrass myself.”