Anthony Edwards

Anthony John Edwards (born 22 December 1972 in Ballarat, Victoria) is an Australian former lightweight rower. He is a five time Olympian, triple Olympic medallist, a world champion and a six-time Australian national champion.

International representative rowing In 1991 Edwards won his first National Championship in the scull winning Men's Senior B (U23) Sculling championship in Adelaide. In 1992 he teamed with Tim Wise, his Ballarat City teammate to win the Champion Senior Lightweight double sculls. He also won the Men's Lightweight Senior B scull championship. As a result of this performance Edwards earned his first national representative selection at the 1992 U23 Trans Tasman regatta where he raced a double scull with Jason Tutty winning comfortably all their races in the series. The following year he made his debut Australian senior representative appearance in a lightweight quad scull which finished seventh at the 1993 World Rowing Championships in Racize. This medal was won when he was competing for Ballarat City Rowing Club and was the first Olympic representation and medal awarded to a Ballarat City member in the club's 125-year history.

In 1997 Edwards remained in the Australian lightweight double scull now paired with Queensland's Gary Lynagh. They raced at two Rowing World Cups in Europe before contesting the 1997 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France where they finished fifth.

Edwards took a break in 2001 but was back in national selection contention in 2002 as a lightweight sculler. He was Australia's lightweight single sculls representative at the World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne and for the 2002 World Rowing Championships in Seville where he placed fifth.

Edwards came back into the lightweight coxless four in 2007 with Cureton, Todd Skipworth and Rod Chisholm from New South Wales. They raced at a 2007 World Rowing Cup and then at the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Munich to a seventh placing. Their lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics included a third place at the World Rowing Cup III in Poznan and a seventh place at the WRC I. In Beijing the experienced lightweight foursome didn't figure in the medals in the tough Olympic conditions, they made the B final and finished in ninth place overall.

Their world champion status qualified the lightweight foursome for the 2012 London Olympics for which they prepared by racing at two World Rowing Cups in Europe. At the 2012 Olympic regatta they placed second in the heat, third in the semi-final and made the Olympic final, finishing in fourth place. Less than one and a quarter seconds separated the first to fourth crews. In 2010 he was inducted as a member of the Rowing Victoria Hall of Fame.

Rowing Palmares Olympics 1996 Atlanta Olympics LM2x bow – bronze 2000 Sydney Olympics LM4- two seat – silver 2004 Athens Olympics LM4- two seat – silver 2008 Beijing Olympics LM4- two seat – ninth 2012 London Olympics LM4- two seat – fourth

World Championships

1992 Trans Tasman Under 23 Series Lwt single scull 1993 World Rowing Championships Lwt quad scull three seat – seventh 1994 World Rowing Championships Lwt quad scull three seat – fifth 1995 World Rowing Championships Lwt double scull bow – bronze 1997 World Rowing Championships Lwt double scull bow – fifth 1998 World Rowing Championships Lwt four three seat – bronze

1999 World Rowing Championships Lwt four two seat – silver 2002 World Rowing Championships Lwt single scull – fifth 2003 World Rowing Championships Lwt double scull – bow tenth 2007 World Rowing Championships Lwt four two seat – seventh 2010 World Rowing Championships Lwt four bow – silver 2011 World Rowing Championships Lwt four bow – gold

National Interstate Regatta

1995 Interstate men's sculling championship (VIC) – second 1996 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) three seat – first 1997 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) three seat – second 1998 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) three seat – second 1999 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) three seat – second

2000 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) two seat – third 2002 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) two seat – fourth 2003 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) three seat – sixth 2004 Interstate men's lwt four championship (VIC) bow – second 2010 Interstate men's lwt four championship (TAS) two seat – first