Tom James

James made his GB Senior team debut as a 19 year old in 2003, winning his place in the men's eight. The 2003 eight improved throughout the season and showed their class at the World Championships in Milan by qualifying for the final and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games by taking second place in their semi final, splitting the 2002 silver and bronze medallists. In the final they raced in a leading pack of three, finishing with a very creditable bronze medal.

James was third in the 2004 GB Rowing Senior Trials in the men's pair and went on to compete in all three World Cups in the men's eight. In Athens he was part of the eight which took nineth place overall. He could not compete in the semi–final because of illness but returned to stroke the boat for the B Final.

In 2005 he took a year away from GB rowing to concentrate on his studies as an engineering student at Cambridge. He has raced four times in the Cambridge Blue Boat in the University Boat Race – in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007. In his final year as Cambridge President, he finally tasted victory for the first time.

In 2006 he was selected in the men's pair late in the season because of his academic commitments. Racing with Colin Smith they had a dramatic race at the Lucerne World Cup Regatta narrowly losing to the New Zealand World Champions, to take silver. At the World Championships in Eton they qualified for the A final finishing sixth.

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Last Updated August 2009