James Rudkin
British rower (born 1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Alexander Rudkin (born 7 July 1994) is a British national representative rower.[1] He is an Olympic and two-time world champion.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | James Alexander Rudkin |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 7 July 1994 Northampton, England |
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Sport | Rowing |
Event | Eight |
| Club | Newcastle University Boat Club |
Medal record | |
Club and university rowing
Rudkin was raised in Northampton. He was introduced to rowing by his father and joined the Hollowell Scullers club.[1] He attended Stowe School on a sports scholarship[2] and then Newcastle University.[1]
His senior club rowing was from the Newcastle University Boat Club where he was men's captain in 2015.[1]
In 2022, he won the Grand Challenge Cup (the blue riband event at the Henley Royal Regatta) in the seven seat of a composite Leander/Oxford Brookes crew. In 2023 again in Leander Club colours, he was at seven in the Leander/Oxford Brookes eight for another Grand Challenge Cup victory.[3]
International representative career
Rudkin progressed through the underage levels representing for Great Britain. He competed in junior match racing against France in 2010 & 2011[1] and then at the 2012 Junior World Rowing Championships he was selected in the GB quad scull which finished in overall twelfth place.[4] He then raced in sweep oared crews at U23 World Rowing Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2016 winning a silver medal in the men's four at that 2016 regatta.[4]
Rudkin moved into the senior Great Britain squad in 2017 and held a seat in the GB men's eight consistently from 2017 to 2023. That crew finished in seventh place at the 2017 World Rowing Championships[4] and achieved constant improvement thereafter. Rudkin won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in the eight with Alan Sinclair, Tom Ransley, Thomas George, Moe Sbihi, Oliver Wynne-Griffith, Matthew Tarrant, Will Satch and Henry Fieldman.[5] He won another bronze medal the following year at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim, Austria in the eight with George, Josh Bugajski, Sbihi, Jacob Dawson, Wynne-Griffith, Tarrant, Thomas Ford and Fieldman.[6] That crew had won silver at the 2019 European Rowing Championships.[7]
In 2021, he won a European gold medal in the eight in Varese, Italy.[8] [9] At that year's delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics he was again in the seven seat of the Great Britain men's eight. They finished 3rd their heat but proceeded through a repechage to make the Olympic final. In the final they rowed level with the ultimate winner New Zealand at each mark but finished with a bronze medal being pipped for silver in the last 500m by the fast finishing Deutschland-Achter.[4]
Rudkin became a world champion in the seven seat of the British eight at the 2022 World Rowing Championships. He had earlier won gold that season at the 2022 European Rowing Championships.[10] In 2023 Rudkin won a second successive World Championship gold medal in the men's eight at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.[11]
He won a gold medal as part of the Great Britain eight at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[12]
