Elliot Hovey

Who is Elliot Hovey?

Elliot Meyer Hovey is an American rower who participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics.

During his youth in New England, Hovey's athletic focus was primarily on downhill ski racing. By high school he lost interest and began his rowing career at Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut. He quickly rose through the ranks on Salisbury's Crew with hopes of following his grandfather's footsteps and row on an Ivy League college team.

In the process, Hovey posted nationally ranked Concept2 ergometer scores for 2000 meter tests at the Junior level. He was invited to the US Junior National Rowing Team selection camps in 2000 and 2001 which both took place on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hovey failed to be selected and was cut from both teams. He was then recruited by coaches Booth Kyle and Ed Kloman as well as Evans Liolin and Colin Campbell to row with the Boston Rowing Center's junior men's development teams. Both years at BRC were enormously successful.

In the fall of 2001, Hovey applied early decision to Brown University with hopes to fulfill his dream to row on an Ivy League team. He was immediately deferred and then wait listed. Shortly after he was approached by the University of California, Berkeley's Freshman coach Geoff Bond and offered a promising opportunity to row for the California Golden Bears. Turning his back on the Ivy League dream, Hovey applied to the University of California, Berkeley and enrolled in classes the next fall.