Polk, who was a four-time All-American when she rowed for Notre Dame, was entering her first Games after serving as alternate in London. But all the same, she and her American teammates were considered heavy favorites in their event, where the U.S. had 10 straight Olympic and World Championships entering Rio.
And the USA team did not disappoint, crushing its opponents by a massive margin after previously rolling to a big win in the prelims.
Polk’s gold is the first for a Notre Dame alum in rowing. All told, the Irish now have 11 former athletes with gold medals.