Tom James - International Rowing Career

International Rowing Career

Having won a bronze medal in 2001 with GB Junior eights and silver in 2002 at the Junior World Rowing Championships, James won his first senior international vest in 2003. He stroked the Great Britain Eight, which won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Milan.

Following this success, James decided that training for the Olympics and studying for his engineering degree were incompatible. He took a year off from his studies at Cambridge, and trained with the Leander Club in Henley-on-Thames. The build up to the Olympics for the GB Men's Rowing Squad was somewhat disrupted due to illness, injury and variable form. James fell ill the night before the Heat in the Olympic competition – a devastating blow and whilst he returned for the repechage, the crew failed to make the final.

After taking a break from international rowing, James returned to the British Team in 2006, forming a pair with Oxford rival Colin Smith. The duo raced to a surprise silver behind reigning world champions New Zealand at the Lucerne World Cup regatta to earn selection for the world championships at Eton's Dorney Lake, making the final and finishing sixth.

In Summer 2007 he was subbed in for Alex Partridge in the flagship British rowing boat, the coxless four, which won Henley Royal Regatta in July 2007 and then took silver seven days later in the Lucerne World Cup Regatta.

He was then selected in the GB coxed four for the world championships in Munich, but was promoted to the bow seat of the eight when the original incumbent fell ill on the morning of the heats. The crew made the final, securing GB qualification for the Beijing Olympics, and took the bronze behind Canada and Germany.

Reunited with Colin Smith in a pair, James finished second at the GB final trials regatta in March, 2008, to put himself well on course for a place at his second Olympics. He was then selected for the GB coxless four along with Andy Triggs-Hodge, Steve Williams and Peter Reed.

After a difficult early season, with both James and Triggs-Hodge picking up injuries, the four raced together for the first time in Poznan in the final World Cup event of the season, finishing third. The GB four then dominated their heats and semi finals at the Olympics Beijing. In the final, however, the Australian four led for most of the way. Only a dramatic push by the British boat in the closing stages made the difference; they won the nail-biting final to become gold medallists in a time of 6 minutes 6.57 seconds, beating the Australian four by 1.28 seconds.

At the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia, James raced in the men's four with crew-mates Matthew Langridge, Ric Egington and Alex Gregory winning a gold medal ahead of Greece in second and Australia in third.

At the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, the GB 4 of James and Alex Gregory, Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs-Hodge beat main rivals Australia in the semi-finals, and then repeated their win in the final. All British gold medal winners at the 2012 Olympics were honoured with appearing on Royal Mail postage stamps, and having a post box in their home town painted gold. James' "golden" post box is located in Wrexham where he grew up.

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.

James lives in Henley-on-Thames, rowing for Molesey Boat Club, Surrey.