Olympic Rowing: Australia

Australia has a long rowing tradition and has won Olympic medals in rowing across many Games. This is a guide to the best-known crews, why the country produces so many good rowers, and how to follow them or join a club yourself.

The Oarsome Foursome

The best-known Australian crew is the “Oarsome Foursome” of Nick Green, Mike McKay, James Tomkins and Andrew Cooper, who won gold in the men’s coxless four at Barcelona 1992.

The coxless four is a sweep boat for four rowers, each with one oar, and no cox. Steering is done through a rudder on one rower’s foot, so the crew must manage direction as well as power. It rewards crews who row in a very consistent rhythm, which suits long, well-drilled squads.

Tomkins went on to win four Olympic medals in all, three golds and a bronze, in the coxless four and the coxless pair.

Women’s crews

In recent Games Australian women’s crews have been among the strongest in sweep boats, including the women’s four. A women’s four won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, and the men’s four also took gold there.

At Paris 2024 Australia’s only rowing medal was a bronze in the women’s pair, won by Jess Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre.

Australian women’s rowing also draws on a deep club and school system, which brings through large numbers of young athletes.

Drew Ginn

Drew Ginn is another multiple Olympic champion, and a long-time pair and four rower. See our profile of Drew Ginn.

An unhappy moment in 2004

Not every Olympic story is a medal story. In the women’s eight final at Athens 2004, one crew member stopped rowing mid-race, which became a long-running talking point in Australian sport. We cover it, and the debate about how it was handled, in Lay Down Sally.

Why Australia produces good rowers

• Rowing is strong in schools, with a large regatta calendar and a culture of inter-school racing.
• Warm-weather training allows long seasons on the water.
• A well-funded national programme backs elite crews, with state institutes of sport and national training centres in Canberra and Penrith.
• Club structures link school rowing to university and national squads.

These are broad reasons rather than hard rules. Results come from individuals and crews, and they change from Games to Games.

How elite squads train

Elite rowing squads everywhere follow a similar pattern, and Australia is no exception. A typical week mixes many on-water sessions, several ergometer sessions, some strength work and cross-training. Most of the time is spent at low intensity, with one or two harder sessions in a week. The exact schedule changes by the season. If you want to build your own version, how to train like an Olympic rower has the framework.

How crews get selected

National selection normally combines results from trials, on-water performance and erg scores. Selectors consider crew combinations in seat racing, where rowers swap between boats to measure each individual’s effect on boat speed. This is why a rower’s results alone do not guarantee a seat. Our page on when you count as an elite rower looks at how levels are judged.

Where to row in Australia

If you want to join a club, our guide to rowing clubs in Australia is a good start. Clubs run learn-to-row courses, masters crews and school programmes, so you do not have to aim for the Olympics to join in.

More

For the bigger picture, visit the Olympic rowing hub.