Peter Reed (rower)

Peter Reed (born 27 July 1981 in Seattle, United States) is a British Olympic rower. Reed has achieved two gold medals in the World Championships, and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he earned a gold medal in the Men's coxless four.

Biography

Reed was born in Seattle, but his family moved to England several months later. He was raised in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire and attended Cirencester Deer Park School.

Reed is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. In 2001, whilst training as an officer on board HMS Exeter, he used an ergometer for the first time — and promptly posted the fastest time in the Royal Navy’s annual fleet-wide fitness competition.

Reed continued to row at the University of the West of England, whilst studying mechanical engineering to become a naval engineer. [cite web|url=http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWENews/images/bulletinJuly08.pdf|title=UWE graduates represent Great Britain in Olympic Games|work=The Bulletin July 2008|publisher=University of the West of England|accessdate=2008-08-14] In 2003, coached by Fred Smallbone, he became a successful Boat Club President.

In 2004, Reed won a place at the University of Oxford to attend a two-year MSc course in engineering. During this time, he trained at the Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) under coach Sean Bowden, where he earned the nickname "The Commander". He was selected in both years for the Blue Boat to race against Cambridge in the annual Boat Race. Defeat in 2004 was followed by victory in 2005, in the much-documented "heaviest-ever Boat Race crew". The crew won by 2 lengths in a time of 16 minutes 42 seconds.

In 2005, Reed and his Oxford strokeman, Andrew Triggs Hodge, won GB senior pairs trials (together they have won every year since), and were selected by coach Jürgen Gröbler to row alongside Alex Partridge and Steve Williams MBE, in the new Great Britain Coxless Four.

Unbeaten for 27 consecutive races until Lucerne 2007, the British Four won gold at all three World Cups in 2005 and 2006, and finished both seasons by becoming World Champions.

Reed continued his training to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. After a difficult early season, in which his teammates Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge picked up injuries, the first-choice four raced together for the first time in Poznan in the final World Cup event of the season, finishing second. The GB four then dominated their heats and semi finals at the Olympics Beijing. In the final, however, the Australian four lead 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.

He stands 6 feet 7 inches tall and was reported in 2006 as having the largest recorded lung capacity (11.68 litres), [English Institute of Sport, 17th November 2006, test ID 27781]

Achievements

Olympics

*2008 Beijing - Gold, Coxless Four (3 seat)

World Championships

*2007 Munich - 4th, Coxless Four (2 seat)
*2006 Eton - Gold, Coxless Four (2 seat)
*2005 Gifu - Gold, Coxless Four (2 seat)

World Cups

*2008 Poznan - Silver, Coxless Four (3 seat)
*2008 Lucerne - 8th, Coxless Four (3 seat)
*2008 Munich - Gold, Coxless Four (3 seat)

*2007 Lucerne - Silver, Coxless Four (2 seat)
*2007 Amsterdam - Gold, Men's Eight
*2007 Linz - Gold, Coxless Four (2 seat)

*2006 Lucerne - Gold, Coxless Four (3 seat)
*2006 Poznan - Gold, Coxless Four (3 seat)
*2006 Munich - Gold, Coxless Four (2 seat)

*2005 Lucerne - Gold, Coxless Four (2 seat)
*2005 Munich - Gold, Coxless Four (2 seat)
*2005 Eton - Gold, Coxless Four (2 seat)

*2004 Poznan - 11th, Men's Pair

Other

* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2008
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2007
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2006
* Senior Pairs Trials winner 2005
* Combined Services Sportsman of the Year 2005
* Royal Navy Sportsman of the Year 2005

Notes

ee also

* Leander Club (member)

External links

* [http://www.petereed.co.uk Official website of Pete Reed]
* [http://www.profsports.com/ Agent Website]
* [http://www.bosonmedia.co.uk/ara/gbrowing/biographies/index.php?Action=2&id=197 Profile from GB Rowing]
* [http://82.109.179.12/teammall2008/reed.aspx?mall=Corporate The Mall Team Profile]