James Tomkins

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Medal record
Men's rowing
Olympic Games
Gold 2004 Athens Coxless pair
Bronze 2000 Sydney Coxless pair
Gold 1996 Atlanta Coxless four
Gold 1992 Barcelona Coxless four
World Championships
Gold 2003 Coxless pair
Gold 1999 Coxless pair
Gold 1998 Coxed four
Gold 1998 Coxed pair
Gold 1991 Coxless four
Gold 1990 Coxless four
Gold 1986 Eight

James Tomkins (born August 19, 1965 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian rower and a three-time Olympic gold medalist.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Persuaded to try out rowing by a Carey Baptist Grammar School coach, the lanky James Tomkins quickly developed a liking for the sport winning numerous events whilst competing in for the school's rowing team.

In 1985, Tomkins first made the Australian National team in eight man boat (8+). In 1986, the Australian eight won a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, the Australian eight finished fourth.

The crew on the cover of Oarsome Foursome Fitness DVD
Enlarge
The crew on the cover of Oarsome Foursome Fitness DVD

In 1990, Tomkins, with Nick Green, Sam Patten, Mike McKay began racing the coxless four. Their success was immediate. They won the 1990 and 1991 World Championships. And with Andrew Cooper replacing Sam Patten, they followed up with a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The crew's success gained them the nickname Oarsome Foursome.

The boat repeated its Gold medal performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics, this time with Drew Ginn replacing Andrew Cooper.

In 1998, Tomkins, with the other members of the Oarsome Foursome, teamed to win the four with coxswain, and Tomkins with Nicholas Green, won the pair with coxswain. In 1999, the boat would go on to try out, but lose the 1999 Australian selection trials in the four without. Tomkins and Drew Ginn decided to switch to the coxless pairs and they won the 1999 World Championships. This win made Tomkins the first man to win a gold medal at the World Championships in each of the 5 sweep rowing events.

Tomkins and Ginn had planned to row the pair at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, but while in Europe preparing for the games, a severe back injury requiring surgery sidelined Ginn. On short notice, Tomkins teamed with team alternate Matthew Long, (who had to switch from the port side to the starboard side of the boat) and they raced a surprizing third at the Lucerne World Cup race. Tompkins and Long were selected to represent Australia, and at the Olympics, they finished third behind France and the United States, just 1.3 seconds out of first place.

Returning to the coxless pairs in 2002, Ginn and Tomkins beat the heavily favoured British crew of Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell in a world cup race before finishing a close fourth at the World Championships. In 2003, Ginn and Tomkins reversed the prior years results winning the World Championship, with Pinset and Cracknell getting fourth. In 2004, Pinset and Cracknell moved to the coxless four to better their chances for a medal. Ginn and Tomkins would go on to win the coxless pairs at the 2004 Summer Olympics, leading at every mark, beating Croatia by 2 seconds, with South Africa claiming the Bronze.

[edit] Achievements

[edit] Olympic Games

[edit] World Championships

  • 2003 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn)
  • 2002 - 4th, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn)
  • 1999 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn)
  • 1998 - Gold, Coxed Four (with Nick Green, Mike Mckay, Drew Ginn and Brett Hayman (cox))
  • 1998 - Gold, Coxed Pair (with Nick Green and Brett Hayman (cox))
  • 1995 - 5th, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Drew Ginn, Mike McKay)
  • 1991 - Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Sam Patten, Mike McKay)
  • 1990 - Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Sam Patten, Mike McKay)
  • 1987 - 4th, Eight
  • 1986 - Gold, Eight
  • 1985 - 9th, Eight

[edit] The Kings Cup

[edit] Commonwealth Games

  • 1986 - Gold, Eight

[edit] External links

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