Sir David Tanner receives honorary degree

Sir David Tanner CBE, the Performance Director of the GB Rowing Team, will today receive an Honorary Doctorate from Oxford Brookes University.
 
He will join students at graduation ceremonies being held at a University which is well-known for helping to produce outstanding rowers.

Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes, said: “We are delighted to be honouring Sir David Tanner at our graduation ceremonies.
 
“Both are leaders in their fields and I am sure that their passion and commitment will serve as role models for our students and staff.
 
“Graduations mark the culmination of a huge amount of dedication and hard work for our students and we are very proud that have such inspiring Honorary Graduates to share in this.”

“Sir David has contributed significant support to Oxford Brookes’ rowers for more than ten years”, added a spokesperson for the University.

Sir David has been the GB Rowing Team’s Performance Director since 1996 and has overseen the development of a team of coaches and support staff who have helped British rowers become amongst the best in the world.
 
Whilst he has been Performance Director, the GB Rowing Team won three medals at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, four in Athens in 2004 and, in Beijing 2008, it topped the rowing medal table with six medals.
 
At home for the London Olympic Games last year, the national team won nine medals, four of them gold.  Until then, no rowing nation in the modern era had won more than six medals at an Olympic Games.