Adam Kreek
Encyclopedia
Adam Kreek (born December 2, 1980) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rower. Born in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, he was a student at the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
where he met his wife Rebecca. He won the gold medal at both the 2003 and 2002 world championships for Canada's men's eight team in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
respectively. At the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, Kreek competed with the Canadian men's eight, who were widely expected to win a medal but ultimately finished in fifth place. After the Olympics he moved to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
to complete a degree in Geotechnical Engineering and Hydrology and continue his rowing career there under Coach Craig Amerkhanian
Craig Amerkhanian
Craig Amerkhanian is a Pac-10 champion oarsman and rowing coach at Stanford University. Amerkhanian also has placed numerous athletes on National, Olympic and "Boat Race" teams. He was an all PAC 10 oarsman at Cal and graduated in 1980 with a degree in History...
. In 2005 Kreek took the summer off to get married and spend time with his wife. Kreek coached at Stanford Rowing Center in 2006 and 2007 for the Junior Crew.
He won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in the men's eights with Andrew Byrnes
Andrew Byrnes
James Andrew Byrnes is a Canadian rower and Olympic gold medalist. He was born in Toronto, Ontario and raised in Ithaca, New York...
, Kyle Hamilton, Malcolm Howard
Malcolm Howard (rower)
Malcolm Howard is a Canadian rower. He was born in Victoria, British Columbia and graduated from Brentwood College School in 2001....
, Kevin Light
Kevin Light
Kevin Richard Light is a Canadian rower. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia but has lived in Victoria, British Columbia since 1985. He began rowing at Stelly's High School in grade 12 and graduating in 1997...
, Ben Rutledge
Ben Rutledge
Ben Rutledge is a Canadian Olympic rower.In Seville, Spain 2002 he was a member of the first ever Canadian Men's 8+ crew to win a Gold Medal at a World Championship regatta...
, Dominic Seiterle
Dominic Seiterle
Dominic Seiterle is a Canadian rower. He was born in Montreal, Quebec. He is world champion 2007 as a member of the 8+. He also won the Rowing World Cup 2007....
, Jake Wetzel
Jake Wetzel
Jacob Wetzel is a Canadian rower. He has represented both Canada and the United States at the World Championships and the Olympics. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.- College years :...
and cox Brian Price. Kreek's singing of O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
at the medal ceremony was cited as an inspiration by Simon Whitfield
Simon Whitfield
Simon St. Quentin Whitfield is an Olympic triathlon champion from Canada.-Biography:Whitfield was born in Kingston, Ontario. As a young boy he played soccer but at age 11 began triathlon, honing his early competitive skills in the Canadian Kids of Steel program. By age 15 he was pursuing...
, who won a silver medal in the triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
. Whitfield wrote "Sing like Adam Kreek" on the handlebars of his bicycle and repeated "Sing like Kreek" to himself near the end of the race.