Rob Waddell
Encyclopedia
Robert "Rob" Norman Waddell, ONZM
, (born 7 January 1975 in Te Kuiti
) is a New Zealand rower
, yachtsman and rugby union
player. Waddell has one of the highest VO2 max
intake levels of any athlete ever tested. He holds the fastest 2000 metre indoor rowing machine time in the world, clocking a time of 5 mins 36.6 secs (5:36.6). He also holds the record for 5000m on the rowing machine with a time of 14:58. This made him the first person to go sub 15min for this distance http://www.concept2.com/us/racing/records/all_records.asp. In 2008 he made a comeback to rowing after leaving the sport after the 2000 Sydney Olympics in pursuit of a sailing career as a grinder. With 8 years out of the sport he broke the 2000m and 5000m on the rowing machine and defeated Mahe Drysdale, the then world champion in the single sculls, who was also a New Zealander. As it was an Olympic year and only one crew can be sent to the olympics in each boat class the stage was set for a battle to see who would fill the olympic single sculls spot. Despite Rob getting the better of Mahe Drysdale in the domestic regattas the selectors created a three-race trial to decide who would go. With the wins for each sculler tied at 1–1 it came down to a final race in which Mahe won. Rob was later selected into the double with the young Nathan Cohen. They finished a disappointing 4th at the olympics. Rob has now retired from rowing to take up sailing again, but looks as if he will make another comeback for the London olympics.http://www.concept2.com/us/racing/records/all_records.asp. In 1998, he married fellow rower Sonia Scown
.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, (born 7 January 1975 in Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti is a small town in the south of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, 80 km south of Hamilton....
) is a New Zealand rower
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, yachtsman and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. Waddell has one of the highest VO2 max
VO2 max
VO2 max is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual...
intake levels of any athlete ever tested. He holds the fastest 2000 metre indoor rowing machine time in the world, clocking a time of 5 mins 36.6 secs (5:36.6). He also holds the record for 5000m on the rowing machine with a time of 14:58. This made him the first person to go sub 15min for this distance http://www.concept2.com/us/racing/records/all_records.asp. In 2008 he made a comeback to rowing after leaving the sport after the 2000 Sydney Olympics in pursuit of a sailing career as a grinder. With 8 years out of the sport he broke the 2000m and 5000m on the rowing machine and defeated Mahe Drysdale, the then world champion in the single sculls, who was also a New Zealander. As it was an Olympic year and only one crew can be sent to the olympics in each boat class the stage was set for a battle to see who would fill the olympic single sculls spot. Despite Rob getting the better of Mahe Drysdale in the domestic regattas the selectors created a three-race trial to decide who would go. With the wins for each sculler tied at 1–1 it came down to a final race in which Mahe won. Rob was later selected into the double with the young Nathan Cohen. They finished a disappointing 4th at the olympics. Rob has now retired from rowing to take up sailing again, but looks as if he will make another comeback for the London olympics.http://www.concept2.com/us/racing/records/all_records.asp. In 1998, he married fellow rower Sonia Scown
Sonia Waddell
Sonia Waddell is a New Zealand rower and cyclist.Waddell is the daughter of former All Black Alistair Scown and sister of rugby player Hayden Scown...
.
- OlympicRowing at the Summer OlympicsRowing at the Summer Olympics has been part of the competition since the 1900 Summer Olympics. Rowing was on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was cancelled due to bad weather. Only men were allowed to compete until the women's events were introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal...
Medals: 1 Gold - World ChampionshipWorld Rowing ChampionshipsThe World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . It is a week long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the international rowing calendar.The first event was held in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1962...
Medals: 2 Gold
Olympic Games – Rowing
- 2000 – Gold, Single Sculls
- 1996 – 7th, Single Sculls
- 2008 – 4th, Double Sculls
World Championships – Rowing
- 1999 – Gold, Single Sculls
- 1998 – Gold, Single Sculls
- 1997 – 8th, Single Sculls
- 1995 – 10th, Coxless Four (4-)
- 1994 – 5th Coxed Pair (2+)
- 1994 – 13th Coxless Pair (2-)