PARIS — Cornell lightweight rowing alum Sorin Koszyk '20 and crewmate Ben Davison placed second in the last of two semifinals in the men's double sculls on Tuesday morning, solidifying the United States' spot in Thursday's M2x 'A' Final at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium at the 2024 Olympics.

Koszyk and Davison are the first American duo to reach the men's double sculls 'A' Final at the Olympics since Aquil Abdullah and Henry Nuzum placed sixth at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. It will be just the third time since 1972 that the Americans will race in the men's double sculls 'A' Final at the Olympic Games.

The U.S. crew was in fourth place after the opening 500 meters of Tuesday's semifinal, trailing first-place Germany by 1.03 seconds and was 15-hundredths of a second behind third-place Ireland. All six crews were within 1.14 seconds of Germany upon reaching the 500-meter mark.

"We talked it back last night and this morning," Koszyk said about the Germans' quick start and if it changed their game plan. "We have our potential speed and don't care what anyone else is doing. We're going to make sure we're hitting 100 percent of our potential. We're not going to get flustered by what other people are doing. We believe that we are good enough to make it to the final."

Despite Germany holding onto its lead at the halfway point of the piece, the U.S. crew was able to trim its deficit to 67-hundredths of a second while also pushing into second place ahead of Norway and Ireland after posting the top time in the second quarter of the event (1:34.43).

The Irish duo, which won bronze at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, used a surge between the 1000- and 1500-meter marks to leap ahead of Germany and the United States to take the lead for the remainder of the race.

New Zealand clocked the top times of all six crews in both 500-meter segments in the second half to place third and also advance to Thursday's final. The Americans edged the New Zealanders for second place by 11-hundredths of a second.

MEN'S DOUBLE SCULLS — SEMIFINALS RESULTS
1. Ireland (Daire Lynch, Philip Doyle) — 6:13:14
2. United States (Sorin Koszyk, Ben Davison) — 6:14.19
3. New Zealand (Robbie Manson, Jordan Parry) — 6:14.30
4. Germany (Jonas Gelsen, Marc Weber) — 6:17.69
5. France (Hugo Boucheron, Matthieu Androdias) — 6:19.35
6. Norway (Martin Helseth, Kjetil Borch) — 6:20.27

UP NEXT
The Americans' appearance in the men's double sculls final marks the fifth time in the last 64 years that the United States will have a crew in the 'A' Final (1964, 1968, 1984, 2004, 2024).

Koszyk and Davison will be seeking to become the first American pair to earn an Olympic medal in the men's double sculls since Brad Alan Lewis and Paul Enquist won gold in Los Angeles at the 1984 Olympics. A gold medal on Thursday would signify the seventh time an American duo has won the men's double sculls event (1904, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1984). The first five gold medals were won in consecutive Olympics in which double sculls were held.

Since the inaugural running of the men's double sculls event in St. Louis, Mo., in 1904, the Americans have medaled 11 times in the discipline, earning six gold, three silver, and two bronze medals. The Americans have only medaled four times in the event since 1936 (one gold, two silver, one bronze).

If Koszyk wins a medal on Thursday, he would be the second Cornell alum to earn an Olympic medal in the men's double sculls, joining John Nunn '64, who won bronze at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Should Koszyk and Cornell heavyweight rowing alum Michael Grady '19 — who is competing in the 'A' Final of the men's four — both earn medals on Thursday, they would become the first pair of Cornell rowing alums to earn medals at the same Olympic Games since 1977, when Dave Clark '82 (men's coxless four), Walter (Chip) Lubsen '77 (men's eight), and Dave Bach '82 (men's coxed four) all won silver in Los Angeles in 1984.

Race action on Thursday can be streamed live on Peacock, NBC's video streaming service, while the replay of the finals of the double sculls and men's four will air on a tape-delay on USA Network on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

CORNELL ROWING AT 2024 OLYMPICS SCHEDULE
Thursday, Aug. 1
Koszyk — Men's Double Sculls 'A' Final — 11:30 a.m. CET (5:30 a.m. ET)
Grady — Men's Four 'A' Final — 12:10 p.m. CET (6:10 a.m. ET)

MEN'S DOUBLE SCULLS 'A' FINAL LANE ASSIGNMENTS
Thursday, Aug. 1 — 11:30 a.m. CET (5:30 a.m. ET)
1. Romania
2. Spain
3. Ireland
4. Netherlands
5. United States
6. New Zealand

MEN'S FOUR 'A' FINAL LANE ASSIGNMENTS
Thursday, Aug. 1 — 12:10 p.m. CET (6:10 a.m. ET)
1. Italy
2. Great Britain
3. United States
4. New Zealand
5. Australia
6. Romania