LUCERNE, Switzerland -- Julie Nichols and Kristin Hedstrom will compete in the lightweight women's double sculls for the United States at the London Olympics after finishing fourth Sunday at a World Cup regatta.
They needed to beat at least two crews in the final in Lucerne to avoid returning to the U.S. for more trials in West Windsor, N.J., in June. They did that by holding off Britain by 0.09 seconds.
Says Nichols: "We had no idea it was that close. But we'll take it."
Nichols was an alternate at the 2008 Olympics and U.S. Rowing's 2011 Female Athlete of the Year.
At the Swiss regatta, all the finalists from the 2011 world championship were competing.
