Overview
James Bruce Tomkins (born 19 August 1965) is an Australian rower, seven-time World Champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is Australia's most awarded oarsman, having made appearances at six Olympic games (for three gold and one bronze medal); eleven World Championships (for seven world titles including one in each of the five sweep oar events); four Rowing World Cups (for two titles) and eighteen state representative King's Cup appearances – the Australian blue riband men's VIII event, (for fifteen victories, ten as stroke). Tomkins is one of only five Australian athletes and four rowers worldwide to compete at six Olympics. From 1990 to 1998 he was the stroke of Australia's prominent world class crew – the coxless four known as the Oarsome Foursome.
Club and state rowing
Tomkins took up rowing at Carey Baptist Grammar School. He stroked the Carey First VIII in both of his senior years, 1982 and 1983. His long senior club career was with the Mercantile Rowing Club in Melbourne.
International representative rowing
In 1985, Tomkins first made the Australian national team as stroke of the senior men's eight for the 1985 World Rowing Championships in Hazewinkel Belgium. The Australian eight finished in ninth place. In 1986, the Australian eight stroked by Steve Evans won a gold medal at the 1986 World Rowing Championships in Nottingham, England with Tomkins rowing in the six seat. That same crew rowed to victory at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, and Tomkins won a Commonwealth Games gold medal. Tomkins also stroked a coxed four to a bronze medal at those same games. At the World Championships in Copenhagen 1987 Tomkins was in the six seat when the men's VIII finished in fourth place and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, the Australian eight finished fourth with Tomkins again rowing at six.
In 1990 with his Mercantile clubmates Samuel Patten and Mike McKay and Nick Green from the Melbourne University Boat Club, Tomkins began racing an Australian representative coxless four. Their success was immediate. They won the 1990 and 1991 World Championships.
Accolades
James Tomkins was announced as the 2008 Victorian Father of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Victoria Inc. In 2010 he was inducted as a member of the Rowing Victoria Hall of Fame and that same year the International Rowing Federation awarded Tomkins the Thomas Keller Medal for his outstanding international rowing career. It is the sport's highest honour and is awarded within five years of the athlete's retirement, acknowledging an exceptional career and exemplary sportsmanship. and was elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission. He will serve as an IOC member for eight years. Tomkins also helped to build the Carey/Yarra Yarra Boat Sheds on the Yarra River in Melbourne. There is an eight named after him in Carey boatshed.
Achievements
*2008 Beijing Olympics Australian Flag Bearer *Olympic Medals: 3 Gold, 1 Bronze *World Championship Medals: 7 Gold *Commonwealth Games Medals: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze *King's Cup: 15 Championships *FISA World Cups: 2 Gold *FISA Crew of the Year: 2003, Coxless Pair *Thomas Keller Medal: 2010
Olympic Games
Source: *1988 – 5th, Eight *1992 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Andrew Cooper, Mike McKay) *1996 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Drew Ginn, Mike McKay) *2000 – Bronze, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Long) *2004 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *2008 – 6th, Eight
World championships
Source: *1985 – 9th, Eight *1986 – Gold, Eight *1987 – 4th, Eight *1990 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Samuel Patten, Mike McKay) *1991 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Samuel Patten, Mike McKay) *1995 – 5th, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Drew Ginn, Mike McKay) *1998 – Gold, Coxed Pair (with Nick Green and Brett Hayman *1998 – Gold, Coxed Four (with Nick Green, Mike McKay, Drew Ginn and Brett Hayman *1999 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *2002 – 4th, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *2003 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Drew Ginn) *2007 – 7th, Eight
FISA World Cups
*2002 – 1st, Coxless Pair, World Cup II *2007 – 10th, Eight, World Cup II *2007 – 6th, Eight, World Cup III *2008 – 1st, Eight, World Cup I *2008 – 4th, Eight, World Cup II
The Kings Cup
Source: *1984– 1st *1986– 1st *1987– 1st *1988– 1st *1990– 1st *1991– 1st *1992– 1st *1994– 1st *1995– 1st *1996– 1st *1998– 1st *1999– 2nd, Western Australia (1st) *2000– 1st *2002– 1st *2003– 1st *2004– 2nd, New South Wales (1st) *2007– 1st *2008– 2nd, New South Wales (1st)
Commonwealth Games
*1986 – Gold, Eight. Bronze, Coxed Four (with James Galloway, Andrew Cooper, Mike McKay and Dale Caterson (cox)).
See also
*List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games