BOA names Triggs Hodge as rowing's Olympic Athlete of the Year

By Paul Osborne

Andrew Triggs Hodge has won the rower's Olympic Athlete of the Year Award ©Getty Images

November 23 - Double Olympic champion Andrew Triggs Hodge has been named as rowing's Olympic Athlete of the Year for 2013 by the British Olympic Association (BOA) at a special dinner in Twickenham.

The reigning men's eights world champion was presented with the award by former British Rowing chair and BOA life vice-president Dame Di Ellis.

Triggs Hodge, 34, has been at the top of British rowing for more than a decade, most notably collecting gold medals at both the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics in the coxless four discipline, but his rowing career began when he was studying at Staffordshire University where he took up the sport with the Boat Club.

He then moved to Oxford's St Catherine's College where he undertook a Master of Science in Water Science, Policy and Management, while also joining the famous Oxford University Boat Club.

After winning the 2005 Boat Race against Cambridge, Triggs Hodge's international career went from strength to strength and he, along with fellow Oxford crew mates Alex Partridge and Pete Reed, as well as Olympic champion Steve Williams, won gold at the 2005 World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan, before defending their title a year later at Eton Dorney.

Triggs Hodge, Reed, Williams and Tom James, who was promoted to the team in place of Partridge, then rowed to gold ahead of the Australian team to defend the Olympic title won by the British team at Athens 2004 and claim the ultimate prize at Beijing.

Triggs Hodge maintained his place in the coxless fours team and helped Britain to a memorable victory on home waters at the London Olympics, beating rivals Australia who had pushed them to the limit throughout the previous season.

Andrew Triggs Hodge celebrates after winning gold in the coxless fours at the London 2012 Games ©Getty Images

Following that victory, where the team had led from start to finish, Triggs Hodge said: "We have just executed a masterpiece.

"It took us four years to perfect that.

"Everyone has contributed to our success.

"Every single person here [at Eton Dorney] as well as our families, our friends, our support teams."

Triggs Hodge currently heads the World Rowing Top 10 list for male rowers following a hugely successful 2013.

During the season, Triggs Hodge provided the rhythm at stroke for a men's eight campaign which saw them win gold at Sydney and Eton Dorney before switching his power to the engine room of the boat which went on to win Britain's historic first men's eight world title in Chungju, South Korea, in September.

"Andy is a powerful winner of this trophy from a strong GB Rowing team men's squad," British Rowing performance director Sir David Tanner said.

"Not only does he give his all in training and competition but he often voices the key issues in our sport with the same passion and commitment."

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