Drew Ginn

Drew Cameron Ginn OAM (born 20 November 1974) is an Australian five-time world champion rower, a four time Olympian and triple Olympic gold medallist. From 1995 to 1998 he was a member of Australia's prominent world class crew – the coxless four known as the Oarsome Foursome.

Club and state rowing Ginn was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne where he took up rowing. His senior club rowing was done from the Mercantile Rowing Club in Melbourne.

National representative rowing Ginn made his Australian representative debut in the 1994 U23 Trans Tasman series against New Zealand. In 2002, he returned to the water, teaming up with fellow Oarsome Foursome rower James Tomkins in a coxless pair; they finished fourth in the 2002 World Championships. In 2003, Ginn and Tomkins were the surprise winners, beating the British favourites—and defending champions—Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell, which was a factor in Pinsent and Cracknell choosing to move to the coxless fours. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Ginn and Tomkins won the gold medal in the coxless pairs. However, in downplaying the achievement, Ginn noted two riders in the under-23 competition actually posted faster times over the same course on the same day.

In a much stronger field at the 2010 Australian national road championships, Ginn finished sixth.

Accolades Ginn was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 1997 Australia Day Honours and the Australian Sports Medal in June 2000.

Scotch College, Melbourne, Ginn's former school, named a racing eight "Drew Ginn" in his honour. The school's first VIII won the APS Head of the River (Australia) in that boat in 1998.

In 2003 together with James Tomkins he was named with FISA male rower of the year. In 2004 he was appointed as an Athletes Commission member to the Australian Olympic Committee. In 2007 jointly with Duncan Free he was named FISA male rower of the year.

In 2010, Ginn was inducted as a member of the Rowing Victoria Hall of Fame.

In 2014, the International Rowing Federation awarded Ginn the Thomas Keller Medal for his outstanding international rowing career. It is the sport's highest honour and is awarded within five years of the athlete's retirement, acknowledging an exceptional rowing career and exemplary sportsmanship.

In October 2018, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Rowing palmarès Olympics

1996 Atlanta Olympics M4- bow – gold 2004 Athens Olympics M2- bow – gold

2008 Beijing Olympics M2- bow – gold 2012 London Olympics M4- three seat – silver

World Championships

1994 Trans Tasman Under 23 Series Men's eight 1994 World Rowing U23 Championships Men's eight 1995 World Rowing Championships Men's eight bow – eleventh 1997 World Rowing Championships Men's eight seven seat – bronze 1998 World Rowing Championships Coxed four three seat – gold 1998 World Rowing Championships Coxless pair stroke – silver

1999 World Rowing Championships Coxless pair bow – gold 2002 World Rowing Championships Coxless pair – bow – fourth 2003 World Rowing Championships Coxless pair bow – gold 2006 World Rowing Championships Coxless pair bow – gold 2007 World Rowing Championships Coxless pair bow – gold

National Interstate Regatta

1993 – Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship five seat – Second 1994 – Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship six seat – First 1995 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship three seat – First 1996 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship five seat – First 1997 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship six seat – Third 1998 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship six seat – First 1999 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship six seat – Second

2000 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship – First 2002 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship seven seat – First 2003 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship seven seat – First 2004 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship seven seat – Second 2006 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship stroke – First 2007 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship stroke – First 2008 – Interstate Men's Eight Championship stroke – Second