This photo was taken by my mom this morning just seconds before Ella’s team crossed the finish line in their first heat at today’s rowing competition. That’s Ella in the bow (nearest to us), showing off her good form. And you Washingtonians will appreciate knowing that Ella was wearing a University of Washington sweatshirt throughout the races.

The team was desperately trying to overcome a big challenge that had come up just seconds before. The girl second from the left got bonked in the nose with her oar which threw off the whole team. I was downstream from the finish line, on a grassy knoll, taking a short video when it happened. Reviewing the footage, I swear it looks like the JFK assassination home movie, what with the way the poor girl’s head flies back when she’s hit. There seems to be some question of whether she was hit once or twice and whether the blows both came from the same direction. Oliver Stone is already planning the movie adaptation of the race and subsequent conspiracy.

The conspiracy surrounds the fact that they didn’t win this heat, nor their second. What forces were at work today to keep them from showing their best effort? I heard mumblings that it had something to do with an American ringer being on the team…