Alastair Gordon

Alastair Gordon (born 8 December 1976 in Sydney) is an Australian rower who won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He's one of only two Australian oarsmen to have twice won the Grand Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Club and state rowing Gordon was educated at The King's School in Sydney where he took up rowing. His senior club rowing was done from the Sydney Rowing Club.

Gordon first made state selection for New South Wales in the 1995 youth eight who won the Noel Wilkinson Trophy at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. In 1996 he made the New South Wales senior men's eight to contest the King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. He raced in four further King's Cup eights for New South Wales in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. His King's Cup career was during a period of Victorian dominance.

International representative rowing Gordon's Australian representative debut came in 1996 when he was selected to row a coxless pair with Daniel Burke at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Hazewinkel. They rowed to a silver .

He held his seat in the Australian eight in 1998 and raced at the 1998 World Rowing Championships in Cologne to a sixth-place finish. At Sydney 2000 the Australian eight won their heat in a pace that blew away the eventual gold medallists Great Britain. However, in the final they started slowly and their late sprint home left them 0.8 seconds behind the Brits at the line and taking the silver Olympic medal in a thrilling finish.

Gordon's record in winning two Grand Challenge Cups at the Henley Royal Regatta is a rare feat for British rowers, but never before achieved by an Australian oarsman.