James Tomkins

James Tomkins is the greatest sweep rower ever produced by Australia and his career record matches up well with almost any rower ever. Between 1986 and 2003, Tomkins won seven gold medals at the World Championships, and he is, through 2008, the only rower to have ever been world champion in all five sweep evenrts. In 1990, Tomkins joined Nick Green , Sam Patten, and Mike McKay in a coxless four. They were World Champions in 1990-91 and with Andrew Cooper replacing Patten’s seat, they won the gold medal in 1992 at Barcelona. Their success earned the team the nickname “The Oarsome Foursome,” and they repeated their Olympic gold medal performance at the 1996 Olympics, with Drew Ginn replacing Cooper.

Selected for the 2008 Olympics for Australia, and his sixth Olympics, Tomkins through 2004 had won three Olympic golds, and one bronze, in addition to his seven World Championships. At the 1986 Commonwealth Games, he helped the Australian eight to a gold medal, and also won a bronze in the coxed four. Tomkins has been a winner at The Kings Cup 15 times.