Patrick Sweeney

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Patrick John Sweeney (born August 12, 1952 ) is a former British rower who won two medals in three Olympic competitions.

Athletic career

The 1.57 m tall helmsman Patrick Sweeney from the Leander Club took part in the 1972 Olympic Games in a four with a helmsman and finished in tenth place. At the European Championships in 1973 , the British four-man finished eleventh. In 1974 Sweeney drove the British eighth, who won the silver medal behind the US eighth at the 1974 World Championships . After a fourth place with the four with helmsman at the 1975 World Championships , Sweeney again drove the British eighth at the 1976 Olympic Games . With two seconds behind the GDR eighth and two seconds ahead of the New Zealand boat, the British won the silver medal. Sweeney won his first world title at the 1977 World Championships with the lightweight eight.

In 1986 Sweeney returned to the international regatta courses as the helmsman of the British two-man with Steven Redgrave and Andrew Holmes . At the 1986 World Championships in Nottingham, the British won in front of the Italian boat with Carmine and Giuseppe Abbagnale together with Giuseppe Di Capua . At the 1987 World Championships , Redgrave and Holmes won in two without a helmsman , with Patrick Sweeney they won the silver medal behind the Italians. Redgrave and Holmes also competed in both boat classes at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. In the two without a helmsman they won the gold medal, in the two with a helmsman the Italians won in front of the boat from the GDR, behind them Redgrave, Holmes and Sweeney received the bronze medal. At the 1989 World Championships Sweeney drove the British two-man back to fifth place.

He then ended his active career, but remained connected to rowing as a coach. Sweeney, who worked as a trainer in Canada from 1977 to 1980 and then at the University of California, initially looked after the rowers from the Leander Club and was assistant trainer at the British Rowing Association. From 1996 to 2000 he was the Belgian national coach. Since 2004 he has been a rowing coach at Kansas State University .

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personal data
SURNAME Sweeney, Patrick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sweeney, Patrick John (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British rower
DATE OF BIRTH August 12, 1952