Rowing Legends
Olympic sculling and sweep rowing champions across the generations.
The All-Time Greatest Rowing Rowers
Ranked by career honours, records and our FSP GOAT Score.
All Rowing Athletes
Browse 36 of the greatest rowing rowers of all time.
British
Alan Campbell
Rower
British rower who won Olympic bronze in men's single sculls at London 2012 and multiple World…
British
Anna Watkins
Rower
British rower who won Olympic gold in the double sculls at London 2012 and set multiple world…
British
David Smith
Rower
Paralympic rowing champion who overcame a life-threatening cancerous spinal tumour to win gold in…
Australian
Drew Ginn
Rower
Australian Olympic rowing champion who won gold medals in the coxless four at Sydney 2000 and…
British
Ed Coode
Rower
British Olympic rowing champion who won gold in the coxless four at Athens 2004 and claimed two…
Belarusian
Ekaterina Karsten
Rower
Two Olympic gold medals and the most decorated women's rower in history — Ekaterina Karsten…
Romanian
Elisabeta Lipă
Rower
Romanian rower who became the most successful female Olympic rower in history, winning 5 gold…
Romanian
Georgeta Damian
Rower
Romanian Olympic rowing champion who won four consecutive Olympic gold medals in women's eight from…
New Zealander
Hamish Bond
Rower
New Zealand rower and three-time Olympic gold medalist, widely regarded as one of the greatest…
British
Helen Glover
Rower (Pair)
Britain's most successful female rower — two Olympic gold medals in the coxless pair with Heather…
British
James Cracknell
Rower
British Olympic rowing champion who won gold medals in coxless fours at Sydney 2000 and Athens…
French
Jean-Christophe Rolland
Rower
French Olympic rowing champion and World Championships gold medalist, later became president of…
British
Katherine Grainger
Rower
British rower who became Britain's most decorated female Olympian with five Olympic medals…
New Zealander
Mahe Drysdale
Rower
New Zealand single sculls rower, two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion, widely…
British
Matthew Pinsent
Rower
British rowing legend who won four consecutive Olympic golds and ten World Championship titles,…
Norwegian
Olaf Tufte
Rower
Norwegian Olympic rowing champion, widely regarded as one of the greatest single scullers in…
British
Pete Reed
Rower
British Olympic rowing champion who won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men's four,…
New Zealander
Rob Waddell
Rower
New Zealand rower who dominated single sculls in late 1990s and early 2000s, winning Olympic gold…
British
Sir Steve Redgrave
Rower
British rowing legend who won five consecutive Olympic gold medals from 1984-2000, making him one…
British
Tim Foster
Rower
British Olympic rowing champion who won gold in the coxless four at Sydney 2000 and claimed three…
British
Tom George
Rower
Olympic silver medallist at Paris 2024 in the men's coxless pair — part of the new generation of…
Swiss
Xeno Müller
Rower
Olympic champion in the single sculls and one of Switzerland's greatest Olympians — Xeno Müller's…
Soviet
Vyacheslav Ivanov
Rower (Single Sculls)
Soviet rower who became the first man in history to win the single sculls event at three…
British
Jack Beresford
Rower (Single Sculls / Sweep)
British rower widely considered, alongside Steve Redgrave, the greatest oarsman his country has…
German
Kathrin Boron
Rower (Sculling)
German sculler who ranks among the most decorated female rowers in Olympic history, winning gold…
Canadian
Silken Laumann
Rower (Single Sculls)
Canadian rower who staged one of the most celebrated comebacks in Olympic history, winning bronze…
Canadian
Marnie McBean
Rower (Sweep / Sculling)
Canadian rower who, alongside partner Kathleen Heddle, became the first Canadian to win three…
Canadian
Kathleen Heddle
Rower (Sweep / Sculling)
Canadian rower who, alongside partner Marnie McBean, became one of the first Canadians to win three…
Australian
Kim Brennan
Rower (Single / Double Sculls)
Australian rower who became the first Australian woman in 20 years to win an Olympic rowing gold…
New Zealander
Emma Twigg
Rower (Single Sculls)
New Zealand rower who won Olympic gold in the single sculls at the Tokyo Games after finishing…
German
Peter-Michael Kolbe
Rower (Single Sculls)
West German sculler widely considered the greatest rower never to win Olympic gold, who won five…
American
Anita DeFrantz
Rower (Eight)
American rower and Olympic bronze medalist who became the first African American and first woman…
Finnish
Pertti Karppinen
Rower (Single Sculls)
Finnish single sculler who won three consecutive Olympic gold medals and shared one of rowing's…
Romanian
Viorica Susanu
Rower (Coxless Pair / Eight)
Romanian rower who won four Olympic gold medals across three Games, forming one of the sport's most…
Romanian
Doina Ignat
Rower (Eight / Coxless Pair)
Romanian rower who won four Olympic gold medals across four Games between 1992 and 2004, part of…
New Zealander
Eric Murray
Rower (Coxless Pair)
New Zealand rower who, alongside partner Hamish Bond, went unbeaten in 69 consecutive international…
Rowing Nations
British
13
athletes
New Zealander
5
athletes
Romanian
4
athletes
Canadian
3
athletes
Australian
2
athletes
German
2
athletes
Belarusian
1
athletes
French
1
athletes