Rob Waddell

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Rob Waddell, 2008

Robert ("Rob") Norman Waddell , ONZM (born January 7, 1975 in Te Kuiti ) is a former New Zealand rower and sailor . He was once Olympic champion and twice world champion in single rowing . He also took part in the America's Cup twice.

Waddell began rowing at King's College in Auckland and was an exchange student in Japan in 1992 . He took part in the World Championships in 1994 and 1995 , in the boat classes two with a helmsman , two without a helmsman and four without a helmsman . In 1993 he first experienced problems with an irregular heartbeat, but it was not until two years later that atrial fibrillation was diagnosed. So that his illness did not represent a burden for his rowing colleagues, he switched to the one.

Soon Waddell advanced to the top of the world. In 1996 he was seventh at the Olympic Games in Atlanta , and in 1997 eighth at the World Championships in France. In 1998 and 1999 he became world champion and in 2000 he set a world record with the rowing ergometer (indoor rowing). At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney , he beat defending champion Xeno Müller in the final and won the gold medal. As the first person ever, Waddell was voted New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year three times in a row from 1998 to 2000 and received the Halberg Award .

After winning the Olympic Games, Waddell initially retired from rowing and tried numerous sports, including rugby union , until he decided to go sailing. In 2003 he was hired by Team New Zealand as a grinder , but he did not succeed in defending his title at the 31st America's Cup . In 2007 he again won the Louis Vuitton Cup as a grinder for Team New Zealand , but lost again to Team Alinghi at the 32nd America's Cup .

In late 2007, Waddell resumed rowing training and beat the reigning three-time world champion in the one Mahé Drysdale in a club race . An exciting contest broke out for qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics , which Drysdale finally won 2-1. However, Waddell started in Beijing in the race with the double scull with Nathan Cohen and reached fourth place.

Waddell, who is exactly two meters tall, studied business administration at the University of Waikato . He has been married to the rower Sonia Scown since 1998 .

successes

Olympic games:

World Championships:

Sailing:

  • 2003: Team New Zealand grinder, unsuccessful defense of the America's Cup
  • 2007: Team New Zealand grinder, Louis Vuitton Cup win and unsuccessful defense of the America's Cup

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Waddell, Rob
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Waddell, Robert Norman (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION New Zealand rower and sailor
DATE OF BIRTH 7th January 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH Te Kuiti