Otago Girls' High School alumna Harriet Thompson (Class of 2023) has made her mark on the global stage, earning a 6th-place finish in the A Final at the U23 World Rowing Championships in Duisburg, Germany in July.

Competing in the New Zealand Women’s Quad, Harriet and her crew pushed through fierce competition to secure their ticket to the A Final. Line-to-line against the world's elite scullers, they delivered an outstanding performance, finishing 6th overall.

This international success comes as no surprise to those who followed her trajectory at Otago Girls'. Harriet's journey to wearing the silver fern was built on years of grit and remarkable milestones:

• 2022 Maadi Cup: Harriet broke a 21-year medal drought for Otago Girls' High School. She won Silver in the Under 17 Single Sculls and joined crewmates Sophie Orchiston, Maggie Hepburn, Islay Merriman, and Emily Esplin to take Bronze in the Under 17 Coxed Quad.

• 2023 Maadi Cup: In her final school year, Harriet delivered a dominant performance in the Under 18 Single Sculls—leading her semi-final from start to finish to take 1st place and qualify for the A Final.

• US Collegiate Scholarship: Capping off her exceptional high school career, we were thrilled to extend our congratulations to Harriet in Year 13 for accepting a rowing scholarship to Washington State University to compete at the US collegiate level.

  

From making school history on domestic waters to rowing for Washington State University and taking the world stage by storm in Germany, Harriet’s drive and determination continue to make us proud.

The entire Otago Girls' High School community warmly congratulates Harriet on this incredible achievement. We look forward to watching her continue to excel as her rowing career unfolds!