By Lauren Sonnenberg

Alex Osborne ’05 finished second at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia this summer. Osborne competed as a member of the U.S. Rowing team during the Aug. 28-Sept. 4 events.

His first competition was on Sunday, Aug. 28 where the U.S. men’s Eight team finished second in its heat to Great Britain with a time of 5:35:48. In its next race, the semifinals, the team finished fourth in a race that Germany won.

Because of their performance in the semifinals, the U.S. competed in the “B” finals. In the finals, they finished in 5:38.93, second only to Ukraine.

This was Osborne’s second trip to the World Rowing Championship. Osborne previously competed in the 2009 event in Poland, where his team finished ninth.

Osborne, a Stanford graduate, had previously represented Stanford as a apart of the I Eight team, a rowing team with eight members, and defeated the University of California, Berkeley in 2009. This victory earned them fifth place at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Chamiponships. Osborne also assisted the team in earning the bronze medal at the IRA championships the following year.

“Alex came to Stanford with no prior rowing experience,” Stanford men’s rowing head coach and Osborne’s former coach, Craig Amerkhanian, said. “He brought qualities that were rich in family and team. Alex led us to our greatest success in 110 years of rowing at Stanford. Alex is a positive force and contributor in whateer he chooses. At this time, rowing is his focus and the Olympic games his goal.”