At the 2009 GB Rowing Senior Trials Pete maintained his run of success winning the pair, this time with a new partner in World Class Start rower, Alex Gregory.
Pete is the Olympic champion in the men’s four, winning gold in Beijing in a thrilling race over Australia and France. After a difficult 2008 season, the crew emerged in Beijing as once more the crew to beat in a dramatic day of semi-finals when they produced an excellent performance to win, while none of the 2007 World Championship medallists made the A Final.
Pete is a former Oxford Blue who has enjoyed a phenomenal rise through the GB senior ranks, winning gold with the men’s four at the 2005 and 2006 World Championships. At the 2007 GB Senior Selection Trials in Belgium Pete won the men’s pairs final for the third year running with Andrew Triggs Hodge. In 2007 the four had a mixed season finishing a disappointing 4th at the World Championships in Munich.
Pete was a late entrant to the sport, learning to row at the University of the West of England in 2002. Whilst there he was selected for the GB coxed four in the World U23 Championships in Belgrade in 2003, just missing out on a medal when finishing 4th in the final.
Pete narrowly missed Olympic selection in 2004 and stormed into contention for the top men’s boat in 2005 winning the pair at the GB Rowing Senior Trials with Andrew Triggs Hodge. Both men were fresh from the winning Oxford Blue boat in the University Boat Race and were duly named in the men’s four with Alex Partridgeand Steve Williams.
Unbeaten in 2005 the GB men’s four won gold at the World Cups in Eton, Munich and Lucerne and then capped a sensational season by taking gold at the World Championships in Japan.
The World Cup in 2006 brought further success with golds in Munich, Poznan and Lucerne.
At the 2006 World Championships the GB four extended their unbeaten run to 24 races to take the world title for a second round – but this time on home water.
Pete is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and a great ambassador for the service, generally known in the rowing world as ‘Commander’. He is a Mechanical Engineer and finished his Masters at Oxford University in 2005. He is also a talented musician.
He was awarded an MBE in the 2009 New Year’s Honours list in recognition of his achievement.
Pete is Lottery Funded through UK Sport and sponsored by the Royal Navy.
