International Rowing Career
Hodge won his first senior international vest in 2002. He sat in the four seat of the Great Britain Eight, which made the final of the Rowing World Championships in Seville. He occupied the same seat a year later when the Eight won the World Cup event at Lucerne, and a bronze medal at the championships in Milan.
2004 was the year that Hodge entered the British rowing scene. The build up to the Olympics for the GB Men's Rowing Squad was somewhat disrupted due to illness, injury and variable form. Hodge and his partner Alex Partridge then won the final selection trials. Partridge was promoted to Britain's top boat until sidelined by injury, Hodge remained in the eight. Illness to the Eight's stroke – Tom James – the night before their Heat in the Olympic competition was a particular blow, and whilst James returned for the repecharge, the crew failed to make the final, finishing 9th overall.
Having stroked Oxford to victory in the 2005 Boat Race, Hodge returned to international competition. Following the retirement of Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Ed Coode, a new coxless four was formed with Andrew, his Oxford crewmate Peter Reed, Alex Partridge, and Olympic Champion Steve Williams.
Hodge went on to win gold with this crew (Tom James was promoted in place of Alex Partridge) in Beijing to defend Great Britain's title in the event. Post-Olympics Hodge and Reed decided to attempt a pair project with a view to competing at London 2012 in that event. Unfortunately due to the emergence of the New Zealand pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond (future world best time holders and Olympic champions) the likelihood of a gold medal in the event was unlikely and so the pair were moved back into the coxless four in 2012 to strengthen that boat's chances. The crew of Hodge, Reed, Tom James and Alex Gregory went on to win the gold medal at the Olympic rowing regatta and beat their Australian rivals who had pushed them hard through the season.
Read more about this topic: Andrew Triggs-Hodge
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