MATTHEW
PINSENT
In 1992 Matthew
graduated
in Geography
from St Catherine's
College, Oxford,
where he was
President
of the Oxford
Rowing Club.
He took part
in the Oxford
and Cambridge
Boat Race
in 1990 and
1991, when
Oxford beat
Cambridge
by substantial
distances.
Also in 1992,
at the age
of only 21,
Matthew Pinsent
had his first
taste of Olympic
success, when
in a Coxless
Pair with
partner Sir
Steve Redgrave,
he won the
Gold Medal
at the Barcelona
Olympics.
Prior to that
Olympic win
he and Redgrave
had enjoyed
an unbeaten
international
season, and
it was already
obvious that
Matthew was
developing
into one of
the world's
greatest oarsmen.
At the Atlanta
Olympics in
1996 the Pinsent
and Redgrave
duo won another
Gold Medal
and throughout
the nineties
their outstanding
combination
also brought
them 7 World
Championship
Gold’s.
Their unbroken
run of successes
continued
through to
the 2000 Olympic
Games in Sydney
when Pinsent,
again with
Redgrave (now
in a Coxless
Four with
James Cracknell
and Tim Foster)
again triumphed
earning Pinsent
his 3rd Olympic
Gold Medal.
The Race in
which he did
it was voted
‘Britain’s
Greatest Sporting
Moment’
and the crew
secured themselves
a very special
place in the
heart of the
nation.
After Sydney,
Matthew formed
a seemingly
invincible
Coxless Pair
partnership
with James
Cracknell
MBE. Undefeated
throughout
2001, they
went on to
complete a
unique feat
in the history
of rowing,
by winning
the Coxless
Pair at the
World Championships
in Lucerne,
only two hours
after winning
the Coxed
Pairs.
In the 2002
World Championships
in Seville
they defended
their Coxless
Pairs title,
beating an
experienced
Australian
crew who had
beaten them
in Lucerne
earlier in
the year and
in the process
breaking the
world record
by 4 seconds.
In 2003 an
extremely
uncharacteristic
“bad
day at the
office”
in the World
Championship
final meant
that for the
first time
in 11 years
Matthew ended
the year without
a gold medal.
On Saturday
21st August
2004 at the
Athens Olympic
Games, Matthew
Pinsent CBE
entered Olympic
history. In
one of the
classic sporting
moments of
all time,
he led the
Great Britain
Coxless four
to victory
in the Canadian
World Champions
by only eight
one hundredths
of a second.
The GB crew
of Matthew,
James Cracknell,
Ed Coode and
Steve Williams
competed for
the lead with
Canada throughout
the 2000 metre
race and with
200 metres
to go the
Canadians
took the lead.
However, in
traditional
fashion Matthew
increased
the stroke
rate and the
British boat
clawed back
the lead to
win by inches.
At the end
none of the
crew knew
who had won…until
the roar of
the British
supporters
confirmed
victory.
The crew
dedicated
their boat
and race to
Alex Partridge
whose freak
injury in
July denied
him from being
part of the
Four.
In the aftermath,
Matthew Pinsent
was emotionally
and physically
drained. After
a year of
highs and
lows, it was
the perfect
response to
the doubters
who had wondered
if Britain
could win
and if Jurgen
Grobler had
made a mistake
putting Matthew
and James
Cracknell
in the coxless
four.
Matthew is
an outstanding
Motivational
and After
Dinner Speaker.
He has appeared
at corporate
events for
some very
prestigious
companies
such as Canada
Life, Nokia,
Manulife,
Procter &
Gamble, IBM,
British Telecom,
British Airways
Nat West,
Camelot and
Lombard.
Matthew was
awarded the
MBE in the
1993 New Year's
Honours List
and the CBE
in the New
Years Honours
list 2000.
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