Andrew Triggs-Hodge

Andrew Triggs Hodge (nicknamed Hodgey) (born 3 March, 1979 in Halton, Buckinghamshire) is a British rower and an Olympic and double World Champion.

Education

He moved to Hebden near Grassington in 1980. He went to [http://www.burnsall.n-yorks.sch.uk Burnsall Primary School] in Burnsall then Upper Wharfedale School, a secondary modern school in Threshfield. He studied [http://www.staffs.ac.uk/study_here/courses/environment-and-sustainability-tcm428070.jsp Environmental Science] at the Stoke campus of Staffordshire University where he took up the sport of rowing with the [http://www.geocities.com/subcrowing/ Boat Club] on Rudyard Lake and St Catherine's College, Oxford where undertook an MSc in [http://www.ouce.ox.ac.uk/graduate/msc-wspm/ Water Science, Policy and Management] .

The Boat Race

Whilst at Oxford University, Hodge was a member of Oxford University Boat Club and took part in The Boat Race in 2005. Both universities had extremely strong intakes that year, with Cambridge boasting several world champions and the Oxford crew including Olympic silver medallist Barney Williams and current coxless four teammate Peter Reed. Oxford, stroked by Hodge, won the epic contest by 2 lengths in a time of 16 minutes 42 seconds.

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.

Achievements

Olympics

*2008 Beijing - Gold, coxless four (stroke)
*2004 Athens - 9th, Eight (four)

World Championships

*2007 Munich - 4th, Coxless Four (stroke)
*2006 Eton - Gold, Coxless Four (stroke)
*2005 Gifu - Gold, Coxless Four (stroke)
*2003 Milan - Bronze, Eight (four)
*2002 Seville - 6th, Eight (four)

World Cups

*2008 Poznań - Silver, Coxless Four (stroke)
*2008 Munich - Gold, Coxless Four (stroke)

*2007 Lucerne - Silver, Coxless Four (stroke)
*2007 Amsterdam - Gold, Eight (six)
*2007 Linz - Gold, Coxless Four (stroke)

*2006 Lucerne - Gold, Coxless Four (stroke)
*2006 Poznań - Gold, Coxless Four (stroke)
*2006 Munich - Gold, Coxless Four (stroke)

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

*2004 Lucerne - 6th, Eight (four)
*2004 Munich - 4th, Eight (four)
*2004 Poznań - 5th, Eight (four)

*2003 Milan - Bronze, Eight (four)
*2003 Lucerne - Gold, Eight (four)
*2003 Munich - Bronze, Eight (four)

*2002 Munich - 6th, Eight (four)
*2002 Lucerne - 6th, Eight (four)

Other rowing

Hodge has been a member of Molesey Boat Club since 2000 when he moved to London.

Just hours after winning the 2006 World Cup event at Dorney Lake, Eton, Hodge made a guest appearance in St Catherine's College 1st VIII, who were competing in Summer Eights. He was joined in that crew by fellow international competitors Christopher Liwski and Colin Smith. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their opposition Hertford College succumbed easily.