Christopher Liwski
Christopher Donald Liwski (born April 21, 1980) is a Canadian American rower, a six-time U.S. National Team member, a double world championship medal winner, and a two-time member of the United States Olympic Rowing Team. Career. Early life and education. Liwski was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He attended Syracuse University as an undergraduate. He then began his legal education at the Syracuse University College of Law, before enrolling in St Catherine's College of Oxford University, where he undertook a Master of Science degree in Water Science, Policy and Management. Liwski then returned to the  U.S. where he completed his J.D. degree at Boston College Law School. Other activities. From 2008 to 2015 he served as the director & legal chair of the board of directors of the United States Rowing Association. From 2017 to 2018 he served on the board of trustees of the Visiting Nurses Association of Princeton, New Jersey. Legal career. Liwski practices law in the United States. He began his legal career as an attorney with the legal department of Johnson & Johnson and later worked for Drinker Biddle & Reath. He now serves as head of legal operations for Sanofi. International rowing career . Liwski won his first international gold medal in 2002 at the three seat of the United States 8+ in the Nations Cup World Championships. He then won gold again in the United States 8+ at the 2003 Pan-American Games. Liwski sat in the five seat of the United States 8+, which came fourth in the final World Cup event before the Athens Olympics, but rowed as the Olympic team spare by the time the crew went on to win Gold in Athens. A year later he competed internationally again, this time at the World Cup event  at Dorney Lake, Eton. Liwski, and Oxford crewmate Michael Blomquist, finished ninth there in the coxless pair. In 2006 Liwski competed at the World Championships rowing at the five seat in the United States 8+, which won a bronze medal behind Germany and Italy. Competing again at the 2007 World Championships, Liwski stroked the U.S. Men’s 4+ to a gold medal. In 2008 after a difficult year of team selection, Liwski was once again named as alternate on the men's sweep team for the Beijing Olympics. The Boat Race. Whilst at Oxford University, Liwski was a  member of Oxford University Boat Club and took part in the Boat Race in 2005, marking the 151st racing of the prestigious annual event. Both universities had extremely strong intakes that year, with Cambridge boasting several world champions and the Oxford crew including Olympic silver medallist Barney Williams, and now famed British oarsmen, and three-time Olympic Gold Medalists, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Pete Reed. Oxford, with Liwski in the five seat, won the contest by two lengths in a time of 16 minutes 42 seconds. To date, the 2005 Oxford Blue Boat marks the heaviest crew weight of all  time. Collegiate Rowing. Liwski rowed for the Syracuse University Crew for four years as an undergraduate, was the recipient of the David Godfrey Award in his senior year, and has been inducted into the Syracuse Athletics Rowing Hall of Fame. Also, just hours after competing in the 2005 World Cup event at Dorney Lake, Eton, Chris made a guest appearance in St Catherine's College first VIII, which was competing in the Oxford University Summer Eights. He was joined in that crew by fellow international competitors Andrew Triggs Hodge and Colin Smith. They easily defeated their opposition, Hertford College. Christopher