| Medal record | ||
Acer Nethercott |
||
| Competitor for United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rowing | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 2008 Beijing | Eight |
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2007 | Men's Eight |
Acer Gary Nethercott (born 28 November 1977 in Newmarket, England) is a British coxwain, Olympic silver medallist and double Boat Race winner.
Contents |
Having attended Mark Hall Comprehensive and Broxbourne School in [Hertfordshire],[1] Acer was admitted to University College, Oxford to Physics and Philosophy as an undergraduate.[2] He subsequently studied for a BPhil and then a DPhil in philosophy.[2]
Acer took up rowing at Oxford as a first year but quickly switched to coxing when it became evident that his body type was more suited to that than pulling an oar. [3] He became a member of both Oxford University Boat Club and Oxford University Women's Boat Club. He earnt his first Blue when he steered the Oxford women's heavyweight blue boat to victory against Cambridge in 2000. The Oxford crew won by 2 1/4 lengths, and completed the Henley Boat Race course in a time of 6 minutes and 18 seconds.
Acer then joined the Oxford University Boat Club, steering Isis to victory in 2002. A year later, he stepped up to the Blue Boat, steering Oxford in the closest Boat Race in recent memory. In a thrilling finish Oxford won the 4 1/4 mile race by just a foot in a time of 18 minutes and 6 seconds. The race was also notable for it being the first time in history two sets of brothers competed against each other. David Livingston (Oxford) raced against his older brother James, and a last minute call up for Ben Smith (who joined the Cambridge Blue Boat from Goldie hours before the race after the original crew member was injured) meant that he competed against his brother Matthew, the Oxford president.
In 2004, he won his seat in the Blue Boat after a tense internal competition with Peter Hackworth, the 2002 winning Blue Boat cox who had taken a year out to study in Italy. [4] In a controversial race, in which the two boats clashed blades and the Oxford bowman came off his seat, Oxford lost by 6 lengths in a time of 18 minutes and 17 seconds.
Acer's final Boat Race was in 2005. Both universities had extremely strong intakes that year, with Cambridge boasting several world champions and the Oxford crew including Olympic silver medallist Barney Williams. Oxford won the epic contest by 2 lengths in a time of 16 minutes 42 minutes.
Acer coxed the British Eight from 2005 to 2008, winning bronze at the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Munich. A year later he won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Despite coxing for both Oxford University Boat Club and Great Britain, Nethercott has still found time to compete for University College Boat Club in 2007 in the annual Eights Week competition.