Thomas Ford (rower)

Thomas Ford (born 3 October 1992) is a British national representative rower.[1] He is a two-time world champion and an Olympic bronze medallist.

Thomas Ford
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1992-10-03) 3 October 1992
Holmes Chapel, England
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportRowing
Event(s)Coxless four, Eight
ClubLeander Club
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2020 TokyoEight
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 RačiceEight
Gold medal – first place2023 BelgradeEight
Bronze medal – third place2018 PlovdivCoxless four
Bronze medal – third place2019 OttensheimEight
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2021 VareseEight
Gold medal – first place2022 MunichEight
Gold medal – first place2023 Bled Eight
Silver medal – second place2018 GlasgowCoxless four
Silver medal – second place2019 LucerneEight

Club and varsity rowing

Ford was rowing for the Newcastle University Boat Club when he first represented for GB at the U23 level. Following graduation he joined the Leander Club.[1] At the 2016 Henley Royal Regatta in a Leander crew he rowed to victory in the Ladies' Challenge Plate for men's intermediate eights.[1]

In 2022, he won the Grand Challenge Cup (the blue riband event at the Henley Royal Regatta) stroking a composite Leander/Oxford Brookes crew. In 2023 again in Leander Club colours he stroked a Leander/Oxford Brookes eight to another Grand Challenge Cup victory.[2]

International representative career

Ford made his representative debut for Great Britain in the men's U23 eight which raced at the 2013 U23 World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim.[3] That crew finished overall sixth. In 2014 he again made selection in the GB eight for the U23 World Championships.[3]

In 2017 Ford moved into the Great Britain men's senior squad and raced in the eight at World Rowing Cups I & III and at that year's European Championships. At the 2017 World Rowing Championships he raced a coxed pair with Timothy Clarke and steered by Harry Brightmore to an overall fourth placing.[3]

With Jacob Dawson, Adam Neill and James Johnston, Ford held a seat in the Great Britain coxless four in the 2018 international season and won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria,[4] Ford won a silver medal in the British eight at the 2019 European Rowing Championships[5] and then won bronze at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim, Austria in the eight with Thomas George, James Rudkin, Josh Bugajski, Moe Sbihi, Jacob Dawson, Oliver Wynne-Griffith, Matthew Tarrant and Henry Fieldman.[6]

In 2021, he won a European gold medal in the eight in Varese, Italy.[7] [8] At that year's delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics Ford stroked the Great Britain men's eight. They finished 3rd their heat but proceeded through a repechage to make the Olympic final. In the final they rowed level with the ultimate winner New Zealand at each mark but finished with a bronze medal being pipped for silver in the last 500m by the fast finishing German crew.[3]

Ford became a world champion stroking the British eight to victory at the 2022 World Rowing Championships. He had earlier that season won gold at the 2022 European Rowing Championships.[9] In 2023 he won a second successive World Championship gold medal again as the strokeman in the men's eight at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.[10]

References
  1. "Profile". British Rowing. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  2. "Leander, Oxford Brookes and Thames dominate at Henley Royal Regatta". British Rowing. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. Tom Ford at World Rowing
  4. "2018 World Championship results" (PDF). World Rowing.
  5. "European Rowing Championships: Great Britain men's four win gold in Lucerne". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  6. "2019 Eight results" (PDF). World Rowing.
  7. "Men's Double Sculls Final A (Final)". World Rowing. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  8. "Men's Eight Final FA (Final)". World Rowing. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  9. "European Championships Munich 2022: GB win four rowing gold medals". BBC. 13 August 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  10. "Catch-up: World Rowing Championships Finals: GB wins Gold in Men's Eight". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
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