Jake Wetzel
Encyclopedia
Jacob Wetzel (born December 26, 1976) 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.
. His success was immediate and extraordinary. His collegiate boat was undefeated and won the freshman 8 event at the 1998 Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship
(IRA). That summer Wetzel tried out for and made the Canadian National team in the pair event (2-) and finished seventh at the World Championships in Cologne
, Germany
.
In 1999, 2001, and 2002 he again competed for Berkeley where he was coached by Steve Gladstone
, this time in the varsity 8. All three years his boats won the IRA and were de facto national champions. In 1999 and 2001, his boats were undefeated. In 2002, his boat suffered a single loss to the University of Washington
, but beat Washington on several other occasions including the IRA.
in Sydney
). In 1999, Wetzel was one of the principal subjects in the Outside Magazine article "Blood in the Water" on the difficulties and internal competition involved in trying to make a national team boat.
After a two-year pause because of a shoulder injury caused by a mountaineering accident, in 2003 Wetzel returned to the international rowing scene and he joined Team Canada. Wetzel made the coxless four (4-) and he won a gold medal at the 2003 world championships in Milan
, Italy
. At the 2004 Summer Olympics
, Wetzel's boat finished second by inches to Great Britain
.
In 2005/2006 Wetzel completed an MSc
in Financial Economics at the University of Oxford
(Linacre College/Saïd Business School
). He was a member of the victorious Oxford crew in the 2006 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race.
He also won at the World Championships 2007 in Canada's M8+.
He won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in the men's eights with Andrew Byrnes
, Kyle Hamilton, Malcolm Howard
, Adam Kreek
, Kevin Light
, Ben Rutledge
, Dominic Sieterle and cox Brian Price.
Wetzel announced his retirement from international rowing at the Beijing Olympics; Wetzel enrolled in the Ph.D. programme in Finance at the University of British Columbia
in autumn 2008.
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
. He has represented both Canada and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the World Championships and the Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
College years
As a teenager, Wetzel was on the Canadian Junior Cycling team; he only began rowing in the fall of 1997 at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. His success was immediate and extraordinary. His collegiate boat was undefeated and won the freshman 8 event at the 1998 Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...
(IRA). That summer Wetzel tried out for and made the Canadian National team in the pair event (2-) and finished seventh at the World Championships in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In 1999, 2001, and 2002 he again competed for Berkeley where he was coached by Steve Gladstone
Steve Gladstone
Stephen C. Gladstone, or Steve Gladstone as he is better known, is one of the premier rowing coaches in the United States. He currently coaches at Yale University...
, this time in the varsity 8. All three years his boats won the IRA and were de facto national champions. In 1999 and 2001, his boats were undefeated. In 2002, his boat suffered a single loss to the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, but beat Washington on several other occasions including the IRA.
International competitions
Internationally, Wetzel competed for the United States team in 1999 (Coxed Four (4+) gold medal at the World Championships in St. Catherines) and in 2000 (7th place with the Quad (4x) at the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
). In 1999, Wetzel was one of the principal subjects in the Outside Magazine article "Blood in the Water" on the difficulties and internal competition involved in trying to make a national team boat.
After a two-year pause because of a shoulder injury caused by a mountaineering accident, in 2003 Wetzel returned to the international rowing scene and he joined Team Canada. Wetzel made the coxless four (4-) and he won a gold medal at the 2003 world championships 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...
. 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...
, Wetzel's boat finished second by inches to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
In 2005/2006 Wetzel completed an MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
in Financial Economics at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(Linacre College/Saïd Business School
Saïd Business School
Saïd Business School is the business school of the University of Oxford in England, located on the north side of Frideswide Square on the former site of Oxford Rewley Road railway station. It is the University's centre of learning for graduate and undergraduate students in business, management...
). He was a member of the victorious Oxford crew in the 2006 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race.
He also won at the World Championships 2007 in Canada's M8+.
He won the 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....
, Adam Kreek
Adam Kreek
Adam Kreek is a Canadian rower. Born in London, Ontario, he was a student at the University of Victoria 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, Italy and Seville, Spain respectively...
, 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 Sieterle and cox Brian Price.
Wetzel announced his retirement from international rowing at the Beijing Olympics; Wetzel enrolled in the Ph.D. programme in Finance at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
in autumn 2008.