Rob Waddell

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameRobert Norman "Rob"•Waddell
Used nameRob•Waddell
Nick/petnamesV-12
Born7 January 1975 in Te Kuiti, Waikato (NZL)
Measurements200 cm / 103 kg
AffiliationsWaikato Rowing Club, Hamilton (NZL)
NOC New Zealand
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Rob Waddell first competed in the single sculls at Atlanta in 1996 as a 21-year-old, and dominated the event in 2000 to win New Zealand’s only gold medal of the Sydney games. He had also won the world title in successive years 1998 and 1999 but for all his success, he left rowing to pursue a career in sailing. He signed on with Team New Zealand, the America’s Cup holders, as a grinder and competed in regattas around the world as well as the 2003 cup defence which was lost to the Swiss challenger, Alinghi. Waddell returned to rowing in 2007 in an attempt to qualify for the Olympic Games and had a best-of-three match race series against the world champion, Mahe Drysdale, to determine who would compete in the single at Beijing. The series was tied at 1-1 but Waddell in the deciding race was troubled by a heart condition, atrial fibrillation, and lost. He finished fourth, with Nathan Cohen, in the double sculls. In 1998, he married single sculler Sonia Scown (now Waddell), who competed in Sydney and Athens.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1996 Summer Olympics Rowing NZL Rob Waddell
Single Sculls, Men (Olympic) 7
2000 Summer Olympics Rowing NZL Rob Waddell
Single Sculls, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
2008 Summer Olympics Rowing NZL Rob Waddell
Double Sculls, Men (Olympic) Nathan Cohen 4

Olympic family relations