Tufts junior Alex Flynn and the United States Para Rowing mixed coxed four team earned silver medals on September 1 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

The crew of Flynn, Emelie Eldracher, Ben Washburne, Gemma Wollenschlaeger, and Skylar Dahl finished three seconds behind Great Britain to earn the U.S. a third consecutive silver medal in the mixed four with coxswain event.

“Throughout the summer, it’s been amazing—getting to know each other even better,” Flynn said about his crew of first-time Paralympians. “I’ve known Emelie since the 2022 world’s team, and it’s been crazy to see the program and the boat just grow and change. We’ve come a long way. It’s been really amazing to have these guys with me. We all have each other’s backs, and we know it.”

The American boat took an early lead in the first quarter of the race, and was just behind Great Britain at the 500 meter mark, and just four seats shy with 500 meters to go.

At the line, Great Britain won the race in 6:55.30, extending their winning streak in the event at the Paralympic and world championships level to 14 straight. The U.S. finished 3.29 seconds behind in 6:58.59. France took the bronze medal by 0.06 seconds over Germany, clocking a 7:03.11 to round out the podium.

The British boat set the world record two days earlier, to the Americans knew the competition would be fierce. 

"This boat went out with a plan, and if this boat is anything, it’s professional and mature despite our average age being 21, and so this boat went out and executed,” Eldracher said. “Everything that we said that we set out to do, we just attacked it each and every stroke. We were willing to make changes, we were willing to be brave, and I’m so grateful that we got to do it together.”

Flynn is a member of the Tufts men’s rowing team, where he rowed on the third varsity eight which won a New England Championship in 2024.