James Bruce Tomkins, (born 19 August 1965) is an Australian

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

, seven-time World Champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is Australia's most awarded oarsman, having made appearances at six Olympic games (for three gold and one bronze medal); eleven World Championships (for seven world titles including one in each of the five sweep oar events); four Rowing World Cups (for two titles) and eighteen state representative King's Cup appearances – the Australian blue riband men's VIII event, (for fifteen victories, ten as stroke). Tomkins is one of only five Australian athletes and four rowers worldwide to compete at six Olympics. From 1990 to 1998 he was the stroke of Australia's prominent world class crew – the

coxless four A coxless four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four rowers, each having one oar. There are two rowers on t ...

known as the Oarsome Foursome.

Club and state rowing

Tomkins took up rowing at Carey Baptist Grammar School. He stroked the Carey First VIII in both of his senior years, 1982 and 1983. His long senior club career was with the Mercantile Rowing Club in Melbourne. Tomkins was selected in Victorian state representative King's Cup crews contesting the men's Interstate Eight-Oared Championship at the

Australian Rowing Championships Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

on eighteen occasions from 1985 to 2004. Tomkins was in winning Victorian King's Cup crews on fifteen occasions, for ten of which he was in stroke seat. Tomkins competed in Mercantile colours in the National Regatta at the

coxless pair A coxless pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars. The crew consists of a pair of rowers, each having one oar, one on the stroke side (rower's right ...

s and in coxed and

s from 1985. He won Australian national titles at those

in 1985, 1987 & 1988 in a 2-; in 1986 & 1987 in a 4+; and in 1988 & 1990 in a 4- with other members of the Oarsome Foursome.

International representative rowing

In 1985, Tomkins first made the Australian national team as stroke of the senior men's eight for the 1985 World Rowing Championships in Hazewinkel Belgium. The Australian eight finished in ninth place. In 1986, the Australian eight stroked by Steve Evans won a gold medal at the

1986 World Rowing Championships The 1986 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 17 to 24 August 1986 at Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Medal summary Looking at the open weight classes only, East Germany was the most successful nation ...

Nottingham, England Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robin ...

with Tomkins rowing in the six seat. That same crew rowed to victory at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, and Tomkins won a Commonwealth Games gold medal. Tomkins also stroked a

coxed four A coxed four, also known as a 4+, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a coxswain. The crew consists of four rowers, each having one ...

to a bronze medal at those same games. At the World Championships in Copenhagen 1987 Tomkins was in the six seat when the men's VIII finished in fourth place and at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

, the Australian eight finished fourth with Tomkins again rowing at six. In 1990 with his Mercantile clubmates Samuel Patten & Mike McKay and Nick Green from the Melbourne University Boat Club, Tomkins began racing an Australian representative

. Their success was immediate. They won the

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

and 1991 World Championships.Tomkins at World Rowing
/ref> After Andrew Cooper replaced Samuel Patten, they followed up with a gold medal at the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. The crew's success gained them the nickname '' Oarsome Foursome'' and lifted the profile of rowing in Australia. The crew repeated its gold medal performance at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, this time with Drew Ginn replacing Andrew Cooper. At the 1998 World Championships, the Oarsome Foursome raced and won the men's

world title with Brett Hayman in the stern. Tomkins, Green and Hayman also took the world title at that same regatta as a

coxed pair A coxed pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a coxswain. The crew consists of two rowers, each having one oar, and a cox. One row ...

. In 1999, the boat would go on to try out, but lose the 1999 Australian selection trials in a coxless four. Tomkins and Drew Ginn decided to switch to a

and won the 1999 World Championship. This win established Tomkins as the first man to win a gold medal at World Championships in each of the five sweep rowing events. Tomkins and Ginn had planned to row the pair at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

in Sydney, but while in Europe preparing for the games, a severe back injury requiring surgery sidelined Ginn. On short notice, Tomkins teamed with team alternate Matthew Long, (who had to switch from stroke side to bow side) and they raced a surprising third at the Lucerne World Cup race. Tomkins and Long were selected to represent Australia, and at the Olympics, they finished third behind France and the United States, just 1.3 seconds out of first place. 4SOME

Returning to a coxless pair in 2002, Ginn and Tomkins beat the heavily favoured British crew of

Matthew Pinsent Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent, (; born 10 October 1970) is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals. Since retiring, he has worked as a sports br ...

and

James Cracknell James Edward Cracknell, (born 5 May 1972) is a British athlete, rowing champion and double Olympic gold medalist. Cracknell was appointed OBE for "services to sport" in the 2005 New Year Honours List. Biography Cracknell began rowing whilst ...

in a world cup race before finishing a close fourth at the 2002 World Championships. In 2003, Ginn and Tomkins reversed the prior years result winning the 2003 World Championship, with Pinsent and Cracknell placing fourth. In 2004, Pinsent and Cracknell moved to the coxless four to better their chances for a medal. Ginn and Tomkins would go on to win the coxless pair at the 2004 Summer Olympics, leading at every mark, beating Croatia by 2 seconds, with South Africa claiming the bronze. Tomkins was selected in the men's eight for the

2007 World Rowing Championships The 2007 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 26 August to 2 September 2007 at Oberschleißheim Regatta Course near Munich, Germany. Medal summary Men's events Non-Olympic classes Women's events N ...

in Munich, placing a disappointing 4th. He competed in his sixth Olympic Games at

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

following the disqualification of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

boat as a result of a doping scandal. Tomkins was the Australian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony. Tomkins and his crew finished last in the final of the men's eight and 6th overall at the Beijing Games. He is one of four athletes to compete in rowing at six Olympics, along with Romanian Elisabeta Oleniuc Lipă in 2004, Canadian cox

Lesley Thompson Lesley Allison Thompson-Willie (born September 20, 1959) is a Canadian rowing coxswain and Olympic champion. Between 1984 and 2016, she has competed at eight Olympic Games, a record for a rower, winning medals in five of them including gold in ...

, and Estonian

Jüri Jaanson Jüri Jaanson (born 14 October 1965) is the most successful Estonian rower of all time and the winner of five medals at World Rowing Championships. He became World Champion in Tasmania 1990 in the single sculls event. 14 years later, at age 3 ...

Accolades

James Tomkins was announced as the 2008 Victorian Father of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Victoria Inc. In 2010 he was inducted as a member of the Rowing Victoria Hall of Fame and that same year the

International Rowing Federation World Rowing, also known as the World Rowing Federation (former abbreviation FISA; french: Fédération internationale des sociétés d'aviron), is the international governing body for rowing. Its current president is Jean-Christophe Rolland who ...

awarded Tomkins the

Thomas Keller Medal The Thomas Keller Medal is given by the World Rowing Federation (FISA) for an outstanding international career in the sport of rowing. It is the highest honor in rowing and is awarded to any athlete within five years of his/her retirement from the ...

for his outstanding international rowing career. It is the sport's highest honor and is awarded within five years of the athlete's retirement, acknowledging an exceptional career and exemplary

sportsmanship Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport, or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. This is with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. A "sore loser" refers to o ...

. In 2012 he was inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...

and was elected to the

IOC The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

Athletes' Commission. He will serve as an IOC member for eight years. Tomkins also helped to build the Carey/Yarra Yarra Boat Sheds on the Yarra River in Melbourne. There is an eight named after him in Carey boatshed.

Achievements

* 2008 Beijing Olympics Australian Flag Bearer * Olympic Medals: 3 Gold, 1 Bronze *

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

Medals: 7 Gold *

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

Medals: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze * King's Cup: 15 Championships * FISA World Cups: 2 Gold *FISA Crew of the Year: 2003, Coxless Pair *

: 2010

Olympic Games

*2008 – 6th, Eight *2004 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *2000 – Bronze, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Long) *1996 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Drew Ginn, Mike McKay) *1992 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Andrew Cooper, Mike McKay) *1988 – 5th, Eight

World championships

*2007 – 7th, Eight *2003 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *2002 – 4th, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *1999 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *1998 – Gold, Coxed Four (with Nick Green, Mike McKay, Drew Ginn and Brett Hayman *1998 – Gold, Coxed Pair (with Nick Green and Brett Hayman *1995 – 5th, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Drew Ginn, Mike McKay) *1991 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Samuel Patten, Mike McKay) *1990 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Samuel Patten, Mike McKay) *1987 – 4th, Eight *1986 – Gold, Eight *1985 – 9th, Eight

FISA World Cups

*2008 – 4th, Eight, World Cup II *2008 – 1st, Eight, World Cup I *2007 – 6th, Eight, World Cup III *2007 – 10th, Eight, World Cup II *2002 – 1st, Coxless Pair, World Cup II

The Kings Cup

*2008– 2nd,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

(1st) *2007– 1st *2004– 2nd,

(1st) *2003– 1st *2002– 1st *2000– 1st *1999– 2nd,

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

(1st) *1998– 1st *1996– 1st *1995– 1st *1994– 1st *1992– 1st *1991– 1st *1990– 1st *1988– 1st *1987– 1st *1986– 1st *1984– 1st

Commonwealth Games

*1986 – Gold, Eight. Bronze, Coxed Four (with James Galloway, Andrew Cooper, Mike McKay and

Dale Caterson Dale Caterson (born 19 July 1961) is an Australian former national champion, World Champion, Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medal winning rowing coxswain. He is Australia's first World Champion coxswain, having steered the 1986 World Cham ...

(cox)).

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tomkins, James 1965 births Australian male rowers Olympic rowers of Australia Rowers at the 1992 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 2008 Summer Olympics People educated at Carey Baptist Grammar School Olympic gold medalists for Australia Olympic bronze medalists for Australia RMIT University alumni Olympic medalists in rowing Australian International Olympic Committee members Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Rowers from Sydney Living people Rowers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics International Olympic Committee members Commonwealth Games medallists in rowing Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia World Rowing Championships medalists for Australia Thomas Keller Medal recipients Rowers at the 1986 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games