HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England – The 2019 Henley Royal Regatta closed with great excitement on Sunday as the United States Armed Forces team went head-to-head with the German Bundeswehr team in the championship final of the King's Cup trophy event. After wins over Canada and France in the first two rounds of the King's Cup knock-out competition, the American team that was made up of Midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy and Navy's heavyweight, lightweight and women's programs, found itself in a memorable contest against the highly-regarded German squad. At the completion of an ultra-competition race, the Midshipmen team came out on top by ¾-length ahead of the Germans.
 
Taking on a veteran Bundeswehr team that consisted of experienced military athletes with an assortment of international competition under their belts, the young Navy team knew that it would have to be hitting on all cylinders on Sunday on the River Thames. Even out of the blocks, both squads were stroking at a high pace during the early portion of the race. The Germans pulled ahead slightly and held a two/three-seat lead at the highway mark of the 2,112-meter race. With approximately 700 meters to go the gutsy American boat caught back up and the teams were in a dead heat. Going stroke-for-stroke for the next 100/200 meters, Navy continued pressing the action and overtook the German team. Hitting their stride and looking stronger, Navy pulled away and won by ¾ length as the Bundeswehr crew was unable to answer back down the stretch.
 
"This was an amazing race," remarked Navy Director of Rowing Rob Friedrich. "Coming from behind and pulling even at the beginning of the enclosures brought the crowd to their feet. I've never heard a louder crowd at the end of a rowing race!"
 
With Sunday's victory, the United States became just the second-ever country to win the prestigious King's Cup trophy. Prior to 2019, the first and only King's Cup competition was held as the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta. Founded in response to the end of World War I, six allied military crews competed for that first-ever King's Cup trophy that was presented by King George V. The six nations included, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Australians were the first victors. 
 
In the 100th anniversary of that first competition, Germany and the Netherlands joined the field of nations at Henley this year. Another change to the event was the addition of female athletes to the crews as each nation had at least two females in their respective mixed-gender boat. This revision was to signify the changing makeup of the world's armed forces.
 

The United States Armed Forces crew at the 2019 Henley Royal Regatta was as follows: Navy lightweights Chandler Washburn and Riki Gagnon, Ashlyn Dawson and Alexandria Vallancey-Martinson of the women's team, and Midshipmen heavyweight team members Griffin Dunne, Jacob Klosowski, John Lamb, Jared Taintor and coxswain Matthew Catanoso.
 
"The event was so special for all involved," said Friedrich. "It was great to see eight different militaries come together, get to know each other and compete on the water. We have the utmost respect for all of the countries and what they represent.
 
"We would like to thank the Stewards for inviting us to the Henley Royal Regatta and putting on a world class event. It will be something our athletes will take with them for the rest of their lives."