Georgina Evers-Swindell

Georgina Evers-Swindell is a New Zealand former rower who, with identical twin sister Caroline, won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the double sculls, becoming the first pair in the event's history to defend the title.

Athens 2004 gold followed by a photo-finish defence of the title at Beijing 2008 — by one-hundredth of a second, in a race television commentators initially called for Germany — made Georgina Evers-Swindell and her twin Caroline the first double sculls pair in Olympic history to hold the title across successive Games. After narrowly missing qualification for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the twins began working with coach Dick Tonks in 2000, who had previously guided Rob Waddell to Olympic gold. The Evers-Swindell twins won silver medals in both the double and quadruple sculls at the 2001 World Championships, before winning back-to-back world titles in the double sculls in 2002 and 2003. They capped that dominant run with Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Games, winning by almost exactly a second over the German crew, and were named FISA's Rowing Female Crew of the Year in 2005 after adding a third world title. Despite a dip in form that saw them win only bronze and silver at the 2006 and 2007 World Championships, the twins produced one of the most dramatic finishes in Olympic rowing history at the 2008 Beijing Games, edging out Germany and Great Britain by the narrowest of margins — commentators initially called them third before a photo finish confirmed gold by one-hundredth of a second. The victory made them the first double sculls pair ever to successfully defend an Olympic title. In 2016, Georgina and Caroline became the first New Zealanders awarded FISA's highest honour, the Thomas Keller Medal.

Powerful, technically synchronized double sculls partnership renowned for closing speed

One of the most dominant rowing partnerships of the 2000s and a defining figure in New Zealand women's rowing history

• 2x Olympic gold, double sculls (2004, 2008)
• 3x World Champion, double sculls (2002, 2003, 2005)
• First double sculls pair to defend an Olympic title
• FISA Thomas Keller Medal (2016)