American representative rower Meghan Musnicki was born on February 5, 1983. She has won two Olympics and five world championships. Meghan also participated in three Olympics, including the London 2012 and Rio 2016 games, where she won gold twice in the women’s eight event.
She has competed for her country six times at the World Rowing Championships, five times in the W8+ division, where she has won gold and once in bronze. The Talented Canoeist has also earned a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Meghan Musnicki qualifies for the Paris Olympics 2024
Meghan Musnicki has made the United States team for the Paris 2024 Olympics as a rower. She was selected through a special camp, where she was chosen as one of 13 women who will compete in the eight-person and four-person rowing boats.
The Romanian women’s pair did very well in the preliminary heats and semi-finals, leading the first race of the day to qualify their boat for the final race and secure a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In the second semi-final race, the USA team finished third, with Meghan Musnicki, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the women’s eight event, making a comeback.
“Alie (Rusher) did an outstanding job, she called an excellent race. We trusted in ourselves, and followed our plan; she kept me focused. I could not be more proud of her, and I’m extremely excited to have qualified this boat for the US for the Olympics. It’s an incredible achievement.”
Musnicki said,
With her extensive experience and previous successes, especially her gold medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, Musnicki has confirmed her spot as a four-time Olympian in this event. Moreover, the strong performance of the US team at the 2023 world championships, where they won silver in the women’s eight and fourth place in the women’s four, further solidified Musnicki’s qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Meghan’s Age, Height, Family and Education
Meghan Musnicki, also known by the nickname “Moose,” was born on February 5, 1983, in Naples, New York. Her current home is in Princeton, New Jersey. Her parents are Bill and Gail Musnicki, and she has one sister named Jaime. In 2005, Meghan was named a First-Team Division III All-American. She is tall, standing at 6 feet (182.88 centimeters) and weighing 176.37 pounds (80 kilograms).
Meghan attended the Naples Central School District in her hometown of Naples, New York. In 2013, the year after winning her first Olympic gold medal, she was a guest speaker at the Naples Central School graduation ceremony. She completed her high school education at Canandaigua Academy in Canandaigua, New York. For her undergraduate studies, Meghan attended Ithaca College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and graduated in 2005.
In her personal life, Meghan enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, running, reading books, and baking cookies. She is particularly skilled at baking delicious cookies. Currently, Meghan is training with the goal of making her fourth Olympic team.
Meghan’s family has faced adversity, as her father passed away suddenly in 2002. Despite this tragic loss, her mother made a conscious decision to move forward and continue living her life to the fullest. Even today, Meghan’s mother hugs her each day without letting her age hold her back from trying new things. Meghan’s sister also demonstrates an incredible work ethic, constantly striving to better herself. Her sister possesses an unmatched sense of adventure and consistently treats others with kindness.
Meghan’s Husband Skip and His Support for Meghan
After competing in the Tokyo Olympics, Meghan Musnicki retired from rowing. In the fall of that same year, she got married to Skip Kielt and moved back to San Francisco, where her husband was coaching at the California Rowing Club (CRC). At that time, Meghan had no interest in continuing to row. However, they had gotten engaged on September 26, 2021.
Meghan Musnicki’s husband, Skip Kielt, is a rowing coach and was previously a member of the national rowing team. He currently coaches at the California Rowing Club (CRC), which is where Meghan now trains. Skip Kielt played an important role in getting Alie Rusher, another rower, to travel to California to row with Meghan.
This decision allowed Meghan to keep following her passion for rowing in a supportive setting. A new system was put in place that permitted Meghan to train at CRC, where her husband is the coach. The special dynamics of their relationship and their shared love for rowing have been key factors in Meghan’s remarkable journey and achievements in the sport.
How Meghan Started rowing and her early Achievements
In 2003, during her first season with the Ithaca Bombers, Musnicki earned a spot in the varsity 8 boat. The following year in 2004, she rowed in Ithaca’s varsity 8 boat that won the gold medal by taking first place in the grand final at the NCAA Championships.
In 2008 at CRASH-B’s, Musnicki displayed significantly improved speed, rowing under seven minutes. Korholz then invited her to a rowing camp in Virginia. At this camp, Musnicki made the women’s four boats. If they won a trials race in Princeton, New Jersey, this boat would compete at the 2008 world championships. However, Musnicki’s boat lost to four of the women who had narrowly missed making the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. It was the second time she failed to make the national team, which was disappointing.
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In May 2009, Terhaar gave Musnicki a challenge. She needed to train intensely that summer, and if she did not achieve a specific time for 6,000 meters on the rowing machine in September, her elite rowing career would be over. In September, Musnicki exceeded the 6K standard and was invited to train again in Princeton. The following spring, she was named to the women’s 8 boat, in the crucial seat 6 position known as “the engine room.” The boat won World Rowing Cup III and then dominated the 2010 World Championships final, defeating Canada by nearly four seconds.
Musnicki’s Winnings After 2009
In 2010, Musnicki won gold in the eight at the World Rowing Championships. She also won gold in the eight and silver in the pair at the Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne. In 2011, she won gold in the eight at the World Rowing Championships and finished fourth in the pair at the Lucerne World Cup stop. Musnicki also won the Remenham Challenge Cup set the course record at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta, and took silver in the pair at the Munich World Cup stop.
The success continued in 2012 when Musnicki won Olympic gold in the eight at the London Games. She also won gold and set a world record time of 5:54.17 in the eight heat at World Rowing Cup 2. In 2013, she won World Championship golds in the eight while finishing fourth in the pair, plus a World Cup bronze in the pair and silver medals in the pair and eight.
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Musnicki kept racking up victories, winning World Championship gold in the eighth in 2014 and 2015, while also taking 2014 and 2015 World Cup golds in the eighth event. In 2016, she won World Cup bronze in the pair and gold in the eight, while finishing second in the pair at the National Selection Regatta.
Meghan Musnicki Representing And Making Her Country Proud In the Olympics
After this very successful stretch, Musnicki took a sabbatical from rowing in 2017. Though the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were on her mind, she needed a break. During this time, she met her future husband Skip Kielt, a rowing coach and former national team member, moved to San Francisco, and worked as a personal trainer.
Musnicki returned to Princeton in 2018 for one more Olympic cycle. But at the Tokyo 2020 Games in 2021, the unthinkable happened – the US women’s 8 boat that Musnicki rowed in failed to medal, finishing a disappointing fourth as Canada took gold over three seconds ahead.
In 2019, Musnicki finished third in eight at the 2019 World Rowing Championships and second in eight at the 2019 World Rowing Cup II. She finished fourth in four and seventh in pair at the 2019 World Rowing Cup I and won gold in eight at the 2016 Olympic Games. She also won gold in eight and bronze in pair at the 2016 World Rowing Cup II.
Musnicki qualified to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She rowed in seven seats of US women’s eight which finished fourth overall.
Meghan was named USRowing’s Female Athlete of the Year and inducted into the NYAC Hall of Fame in 2022.
At Henley Royal Regatta 2022, She teamed with Australian Olympian Jessica Morrison and won final of the Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup over a British crew racing as Leander.
The following year 2023, Musnicki finished sixth in pair at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and second in pair at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II. Meghan won a pair at the 2023 USRowing National Selection Regatta and finished fourth in a pair at the 2023 USRowing Winter Speed Order.
