| Grace Latz | |
| Birth Place: | Jackson, Michigan, U.S. |
| Collegeteam: | Wisconsin Badgers |
| Country: | United States |
| Sport: | Rowing |
| Event: | Women's sweep and sculling (W4x, W4-, and W8+) |
| Headercolor: | lightsteelblue |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Grace Latz (born February 21, 1988) is an American rower,[1] Olympian, artist, and announcer.
Latz started rowing as a walk-on athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a member of Badger women's rowing, she won a Big Ten Championship in the 2V8+ in 2008. In 2010, she helped the crew win its first and to-date only Big Ten Team Championship.[2] Latz received the university's student-athlete community service award for co-founding ReThink Wisconsin, a recycling and sustainability program for on-campus athletic facilities. ReThink Wisconsin's founding group also included comedian Charlie Berens.[3] Latz was a three-year member of the Iron Shield Society.
Following her graduation, Latz rowed two seasons for Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia. Representing the Vesper Tigers, Grace was a three-time competitor at the Henley Royal Regatta, Henley finalist in 2013 in the Princess Grace Challenge, and won the Head of the Charles in the women's championship four. She is one of two female lifetime members of Vesper Boat Club. In 2014, Latz won a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships at the Bosbaan in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in the women’s quadruple sculls.[4] In 2015 Latz, Kristine O'Brien, Adrienne Martelli and Grace Luczak took the gold medal in the coxless four at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France.[5] In 2016, Latz was a finalist in the women’s quadruple sculls in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, placing fifth. At the 2017 World Championships in Sarasota, Florida, Latz placed fourth in the women's eights.
By earning her spot on the 2016 Olympic team, Latz continued the streak for the University of Wisconsin to have an alumni compete in rowing at every Olympic Games since 1968.[6] The streak has continued on through Paris 2024.
Latz was one of four Olympians selected for the Paris 2024 Olympian-Artist Program to implement collaborative and community-based art. Through reassembling donated uniforms and equipment from Olympic sports through a local recycling center, she created a large-scale tapestry of the Olympic rings with the support senior Parisian citizens in the lead up to the 2024 Olympics. The piece will be on display during the Paris 2024 Games at Clubhouse 24 and will subsequently become part of the collection of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Latz was previously selected for the Tokyo 2020 Olympian-Artist Program, however, that community-based project was postponed and eventually cancelled following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Latz was hired to announce the 2024 US Olympic and Paralympic Trials - Rowing together with Lindsay Shoop. Latz was also part of the broadcasting teams for the 2024 Big Ten Women's Rowing Championships, 2024 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships, and has co-hosted USRowing's Youth National Championships broadcast since 2023.