Matthew Wells (rower)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Wells is a British
Olympic rower.
Wells was born in Bradford
and grew up in Hexham
, where he learnt to row at Queen Elizabeth High School
In 1996 he won the single sculls at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, and won gold in the double sculls at the World Junior Championships in 1997. He took bronze at the World U23 Championships in 1999, after missing out on competition for a year due to injury.
In 2000, he took gold in the single at the World U23 championships, then represented Great Britain at the 2000 Olympic Games, finishing in ninth.
In 2003, Wells came fifth in the World Championships in Milan in the men's double with Ian Lawson. In 2004, he competed at Olympic Games with Matthew Langridge
in the double, narrowly missing out on the final but winning the B final to finish seventh.
Transferring to the quadruple sculls in 2005, he won a bronze in the World Cup at Lucerne, the first world-level medal by a GB men's quad. This crew then finished 7th in the World Championships.
He then returned to the double sculls, claiming bronze at the 2006 World Championships held at Dorney Lake
, Eton, UK, but finished 4th in 2007. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
, Wells and Stephen Rowbotham
took Britain's first men's Olympic sculling medal since 1976, winning bronze in the men's double sculls.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Olympic rower.
Wells was born in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
and grew up in Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, where he learnt to row at Queen Elizabeth High School
In 1996 he won the single sculls at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, and won gold in the double sculls at the World Junior Championships in 1997. He took bronze at the World U23 Championships in 1999, after missing out on competition for a year due to injury.
In 2000, he took gold in the single at the World U23 championships, then represented Great Britain at the 2000 Olympic Games, finishing in ninth.
In 2003, Wells came fifth in the World Championships in Milan in the men's double with Ian Lawson. In 2004, he competed at Olympic Games with Matthew Langridge
Matthew Langridge
Matthew Langridge is a current Great Britain oarsman.-Junior Rowing Career:...
in the double, narrowly missing out on the final but winning the B final to finish seventh.
Transferring to the quadruple sculls in 2005, he won a bronze in the World Cup at Lucerne, the first world-level medal by a GB men's quad. This crew then finished 7th in the World Championships.
He then returned to the double sculls, claiming bronze at the 2006 World Championships held at Dorney Lake
Dorney Lake
Dorney Lake is a purpose-built rowing lake in the United Kingdom. It is located at grid reference near the village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and near the towns of Windsor and Eton, close to the River Thames. The lake is privately owned and financed by Eton College, who have spent £17 million...
, Eton, UK, but finished 4th in 2007. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
Rowing at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Rowing competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from August 9 to August 17, at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.- Events :14 sets of medals were awarded in the following events:*Single sculls men*Pairs men...
, Wells and Stephen Rowbotham
Stephen Rowbotham
Stephen Christopher Rowbotham is a British rower. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal in double sculls. Rowbotham was educated at Clifton College and Durham University where he switched from tennis to rowing, having previously represented the UK in tennis....
took Britain's first men's Olympic sculling medal since 1976, winning bronze in the men's double sculls.