22 Facts About Esther Lofgren

Esther Ruth Lofgren was born on February 28,1985 and is an American rower and an Olympic gold medalist.

Esther Lofgren won the gold medal in the women's eight at the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Esther Lofgren is an eight-time member of the US National Rowing Team and a seven-time World Championship medalist.

Esther Lofgren attended Mariners Elementary School and Ensign Middle School in Newport Beach, California.

Esther Lofgren graduated as valedictorian from Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, California, where she played volleyball and basketball with fellow 2012 Olympian April Ross before taking up rowing.

Esther Lofgren helped the women's junior team qualify the eight for the National Youth Invitational for the first time in the program's history, and performed well enough by her junior and senior years to be recruited by top schools.

Esther Lofgren continued rowing at Harvard University, where she was twice named a first-team DI All-American, as well as a winner of the Athletic Excellence Award her senior year.

Esther Lofgren competed on the US National Rowing Team, making the squad for the first time as a college sophomore, and won two Under-23 golds and a Senior World Championships silver and bronze while still an undergrad.

The next year, Esther Lofgren joined future Olympic teammate Genevra Stone to win the BW4x.

Esther Lofgren took the year off from college to compete for a spot on the Beijing Olympic squad, in 2008, but was instead the last woman cut from the selection camp.

Esther Lofgren then stroked the W4- to a silver medal at the 2008 World Rowing Championships.

Esther Lofgren stroked the W4- to a silver medal at the 2009 World Rowing Championships, this time with future Olympic teammate Elle Logan.

Esther Lofgren overcame two late-season rib fractures to earn a seat in the 2010 World Championship W8+, which took gold at Lake Karapiro in New Zealand.

Esther Lofgren was the first athlete ever to win both a sweep championship event and a sculling championship event in the same Henley Royal Regatta.

Esther Lofgren then went on to win gold at Lake Bled in Slovenia as part of the 2011 USA World Championship Women's 8+.

In 2012, Esther Lofgren joined Mary Whipple, Caryn Davies, Caroline Lind, Amanda Polk, Meghan Musnicki, Taylor Ritzel, Jamie Redman, and Susan Francia to set the World Record in the women's 8+ in the heats of the Lucerne Rowing World Cup.

Esther Lofgren then joined Whipple, Davies, Lind, Elle Logan, Musnicki, Ritzel, Francia, and Erin Cafaro to win gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

When she won a gold medal in women's eight at the 2012 London Games, Esther Lofgren knew her perseverance had paid off.

Esther Lofgren raced in the women's 4x at the 2013 Lucerne Rowing World Cup, finishing 6th, and in the women's 4x at the 2013 World Rowing Championships, finishing 5th.

At the 2015 MidAtlantic Erg Sprints, Esther Lofgren "shattered" the half-marathon indoor rowing World Record by more than three minutes, finishing in a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes and 12.1 seconds.

In 2009, Esther Lofgren received Radcliffe Crew's Athletic Excellence award and was named a D1 First-Team All-American in 2008 and 2009.

Esther Lofgren enjoys reading, running, cycling, blogging, and photography and aspires to run a sub-three hour marathon and complete an Ironman triathlon.