They've gone from Beijing to Boston

With its big boats amid post-Olympic entropy, US Rowing is conceding the men's title in tomorrow's Head of the Charles championship eights and sending a younger crew to try to win a fourth straight women's crown, with Susan Francia the only member from the gold medal group.

The US males are sending a four (with Beijing bowman David Banks aboard) to defend the title they've won eight times in 11 years (four as the Princeton TC).

The Olympic team still will have plenty of folks in action, though.

Caryn Davies, who stroked the eight, will team with Michelle Guerette, who won silver in the single, in today's championship double. Tom Paradiso, who stroked the men's lightweight four, will compete in the championship single, as will Margot Shumway, who stroked the women's quad. And Megan Kalmoe, who rowed in the women's double in Beijing, will compete in the eight.

There'll be a great intramural duel in today's men's championship double with two-time champions Sam Stitt (who rowed in the Olympic quad) and 2004 Olympian Sloan DuRoss taking on the Olympic double of Elliot Hovey and Wes Piermarini. Scott Gault (who stroked the quad) and Donny Simkin also will be in the chase.

Signs of the times

A select group of Olympians will be signing autographs from 1-2 p.m. today at the Rowing and Fitness Expo at the finish line launch site on the Boston side of the river . . . Though Davies and Guerette are making their Head debut as a double, nobody's betting against the Radcliffe alums winning. Davies won the title three years ago with fellow Cliffie Anne Browning, and Guerette is the 2005 singles champ. "From the write-up we got in Row2K, you'd think we had a little motor in the back," said Davies, who's been living in Montreal and studying French since the Games. Guerette, by the way, was named US Rowing's female Athlete of the Year for the second time. Micah Boyd, who earned an Olympic bronze medal in the men's eight, won the men's award . . . As always, the best place for crew buffs to catch up with each other will be the Reunion Village, the long white tent on the Boston side of the river next to the Weeks Footbridge, which is the best vantage point for spectators who enjoy ringside rowing. Admission is $1 a day and hot food and cold wine are available . . . While this weekend's weather won't match last year's highly irregular conditions - consecutive sunny, breezy 70-degree days - it will be more than acceptable for both oarsfolk and their clockers and watchers. The forecast for both days is partly sunny skies, temperatures in the low 50s, and a northeast wind around 11 miles an hour . . . Back on the water for tomorrow morning's senior veteran singles will be Harvard coach Harry Parker, who missed last year's race ("a sabbatical") after having February shoulder surgery. It'll be the 40th anniversary of his varsity rowing in the Olympic final in Mexico City, the last appearance by a US college crew. Parker, whose name adorns Community Rowing's new upstream boathouse, also coached the 1972 camp boat that won silver in Munich. That eight, which calls itself the "Alte Achter," will make its 36th straight Head appearance in today's senior master eights, starting behind the Rude and Smooth BC, another group (if more unkempt and unruly) of former Parker pupils. Three of the Altes - stroke Monk Terry, 7-man Fritz Hobbs, and cox Paul Hoffman, have been in the boat each year. "I cox from the cox's seat and Fritz coxes from the 7-seat," reported Hoffman. "And poor Monk sits in the middle." . . . Oldest known rower in the regatta is 84-year-old Francis de Marneffe of the Cambridge BC, who'll be competing in tomorrow's senior veteran men's singles. Youngest is 14-year-old Felix Dotsman, who'll be rowing for Greenwich Crew in this morning's club men's singles.