Day 7 at the London Olympics: Buckland '06 misses out on the medals

Halfway through the London Olympic Games and Harvard already has three medals. But, a day after Esther Lofgren ’09 and Caryn Davies ’05 won gold the results for their fellow Crimson athletes were less favorable.

One of just two Harvard oarsmen still on the water at Eton Dorney—the other one, Henrik Rummel ’09, races Saturday in the men’s four final—Brodie Buckland ’06 of Australia raced in the men’s pair A final this morning. The eventual gold medal winners from New Zealand, Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, had dominated the early rounds setting world’s best times along the way. They did not disappoint in the final, coming in nearly five seconds ahead of the second place French boat.

Buckland and his boat-mate James Marburg came in fifth, finishing the Olympics out of the medals.

This afternoon, Temi Fagbenle ’15 and Great Britain take to the court against France in their second-to-last group stage game. Making their first appearance in Olympic competition, the host’s women’s basketball team remains winless, and will likely remain so barring a significant turnaround. Fagbenle, just 19 years of age, has had moments in these Olympics that suggest she will be a force to be reckoned with next season in the Ivy League. After being forced to sit out her freshman year due to a controversial NCAA ruling, Fagbenle will play for Harvard for the first time when they kick off the season, November 20 at Holy Cross.