Pete Reed

Pete Reed
Medal record
Men's Rowing
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
2008 Beijing Coxless four
2012 London Coxless four
2016 Rio de Janeiro Eight
World Championships
2005 Gifu Coxless four
2006 Eton Dorney Coxless four
2013 Chungju Eight
2014 Amsterdam Eight
2015 Aiguebelette Eight
2009 Poznań Coxless pair
2010 Karapiro Coxless pair
2011 Bled Coxless pair
European Championships
2015 Poznan Eight
2014 Belgrade Eight

Peter Reed MBE (born 27 July 1981) is a British Olympic rower. Reed is a three-times Olympic gold medallist - earning gold in the Men's coxless four at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and then a gold medal in the Men's eight at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He has won five gold medals and three silver medals at the World Championships.

Biography

Reed was born in Seattle, Washington, US but his family moved to Britain several months later. He was brought up in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire and attended Cirencester Deer Park School.

Reed is a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. In 2001, whilst training as an officer on board HMS Exeter, he used an ergometer for the first time — and promptly posted the fastest time in the Royal Navy’s annual fleet-wide fitness competition.

Reed then took up rowing in his second year of university in 2002, whilst studying mechanical engineering at the University of the West of England, to become a naval engineer.[1] The following year, in 2003, coached by Fred Smallbone, he became a successful Boat Club President.

In 2004, Reed won a place at the University of Oxford to attend a two-year MSc course in engineering, based at Oriel College.[2] During this time, he trained at the Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) under coach Sean Bowden, where he earned the nickname "The Commander". He was selected in both years for the Blue Boat to race against Cambridge in the annual Boat Race. Defeat in 2004 was followed by victory in 2005, in the much-documented "heaviest-ever Boat Race crew". The crew won by 2 lengths in a time of 16 minutes 42 seconds.

In 2005, Reed and his Oxford strokeman, Andrew Triggs Hodge, won GB senior pairs trials (together they have won every year since), and following the retirement of Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell were selected by coach Jürgen Gröbler to row alongside Alex Partridge and Steve Williams MBE, in the new Great Britain Coxless Four.

Unbeaten for 27 consecutive races until Lucerne 2007, the British Four won gold at all three World Cups in 2005 and 2006, and finished both seasons by becoming World Champions.

Reed continued his training to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. After a difficult early season, in which his teammates Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge picked up injuries, the first-choice four raced together for the first time in Poznań in the final World Cup event of the season, finishing second. The GB four then dominated their heats and semi finals at the Beijing Olympics. In the final, however, the Australian four lead for most of the way. Only a dramatic push by the British boat in the closing stages made the difference; they won the nail biting final to become gold medallists in a time of 6 minutes 6.57 seconds, beating the Australian four by 1.28 seconds.

He stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and was reported in 2006 as having the largest recorded lung capacity (11.68 litres).[3] Originally due to return to full-time naval duties after returning from Beijing he confirmed on 6 November 2008 that he had been given permission to continue training for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[4] At the 2012 Summer Games, Reed, along with Triggs-Hodge, James and Alex Gregory, helped Great Britain retain the gold medal in the men's coxless four.[5]

In August 2014, Reed was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.[6]

Honours

Reed was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[7]

Achievements

Olympics

World Championships

World Cups

World Rowing Under 23 Championships

Other

See also

References

  1. ↑ "UWE graduates represent Great Britain in Olympic Games" (PDF). The Bulletin July 2008. University of the West of England. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  2. ↑ "Pete Reed Profile". London Olympics 2012 Competitors' Profiles. Oxford University. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  3. ↑ English Institute of Sport, 17 November 2006, test ID 27781
  4. ↑ "Reed has admirals on board for Olympic title defence". The Guardian. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  5. ↑ "London 2012 - Rowing - Men's Coxless Four". www.olympic.org. IOC. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories | Politics". theguardian.com. 2014-08-07. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58929. p. 21. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
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