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Martin Barakso Earns Gold With Former Teammate Evans '13 At Pan Am Games
July 28, 2015 | Heavyweight Rowing
Martin Barakso has been collecting both medals and memories over the last few months, and he may not be finished yet.
Barakso, who will serve as captain of the 2016 Princeton heavyweights, was part of the varsity eight that medaled at both Sprints and IRAs, and then spent a month training for the Henley Royal Regatta.
At that point, he returned to Canada, but it was hardly for rest. He joined up with former Princeton teammate Michael Evans '13 and six of the nation's top rowers to compete at the 2015 Pan American Games, which were being held in Saint Catherine's, Ont.
The hosts were not to be denied. Barakso, who rowed in the 4-seat, and Evans (bow) helped Team Canada to a wire-to-wire victory in the M8+ A final. Canada held a three-second lead over the Americans by the 500-meter mark, and extended the advantage to more than five seconds over Argentina with only 500 to go.
"We had a really good race in the final and by the halfway mark we were up just over five seconds on the field," Barakso said. "We knew we had the race under control and had a lot of confidence heading into the last thousand. Although Argentina and the U.S. were batting it out for second and third, we just maintained our speed and were able to keep the rhythm that we had established from the beginning of the race.
"Winning the gold in front of the Canadian crowd was definitely the most incredible moment of my racing career so far," he added. "The atmosphere at the course was amazing, and being able to sing the national anthem in front of over two thousand fans was something I will never forget."
This is the second straight summer that Barakso has brought the gold back to Canada. He was part of the champion 4+ at the U-23 World Championships during the summer of 2014. It also ends one of the most physically and emotionally demanding stretches that any Princeton rower has endured in years; over the last two months, Barakso has medaled at both Sprints and IRAs, trained and competed at Henley and then competed at the Pan Am Games.
"Training nonstop for the last six or seven months has been tough both physically and mentally at points, but to have the opportunity to race for Princeton during the season and at Henley, and then for Canada makes it all worthwhile," he said. "I still have not had a break, as I am currently training in the pair with Mike Evans to try and race at the World Rowing Championships at France at the end of the summer."
That may be the immediate future for Barakso, but his Princeton teammates aren't far from his mind. After the program's most successful season in nine years, he is looking forward to a potentially more memorable senior season in 2016.
"Our team took another huge step forward this year and it was very special to be a part of the success that we were able to achieve this season," he said. "We are returning almost everyone from the top three boats, and after winning the Rowe Cup and coming in third as a team at the IRA, I think that we have set ourselves up for an amazing 2016 season. Next year, our program has what it takes to win the 1V, 2V, and 3V at Sprints and IRAs, and to win both team points trophies, the Rowe Cup at Sprints and the Ten Eyck at the IRA."