Update 5:45 a.m. Sept. 5: Aggie alum Seth Weil ’11 and his teammates bounce back today, winning the B final and securing a place for a U.S. men’s-4 boat in the Summer Olympics next year in Rio de Janeiro. Weil rowed with all three of his regular teammates in the final, completing the course in 05:53:450. In the semifinals two days earlier in Aiguebelette, France, with a substitute in for a sick teammate, Weil and crew finished fifth, relegating the boat to the B final. Today, all four regulars returned to the boat, beating their time in their Aug. 30 heat by more than 2 seconds.

Update 7:30 a.m. Sept. 3: The Team USA men's-4 boat with an Aggie alum on board finishes fifth in the semifinals today (Sept. 3) and moves on to the B final at 3:40 a.m. PDT Saturday (Sept. 5) in the World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France, still with a chance to qualify an American boat for the 2016 Olympics. Seth Weil '11 competed in the semi with two of his regular teammates and a substitute, in for one of two crew members who fell ill this week, according to a US Rowing story.

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By Dateline staff

UC Davis alumnus Seth Weil ’11 and his teammates are off to a strong start this week in the World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France — winning their preliminary heat to advance directly to the men’s-4 A/B semifinals.

Weil, who rowed with the men’s crew sport club at UC Davis and now trains in Princeton, N.J., medaled with the U.S. men’s 4 team in the last two World Rowing Championships: bronze in 2013 and silver in 2014. In June of this year, he and his teammates won gold at World Cup II as they eye the Olympics next summer in Rio de Janiero.

In Aiguebelette, Weil and his teammates won their heat in a time of 5:56:630; Weil rows in the stroke position, at the boat’s stern, meaning the other three rowers, follow his lead.

The A/B semifinals are scheduled in two heats, 2:38 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. PDT Thursday (Sept. 3). The heat lineups cannot be determined until all the qualifying heats are finished. The A and B finals are scheduled Saturday (Sept. 5): B at 3:40 a.m. and A at 5:15 a.m.

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