Former Chair of British Rowing Annamarie Phelps CBE elected Vice President of World Rowing
The former Chair of British Rowing and current President of the European Rowing Board has been elected following the World Rowing Ordinary Congress
British Rowing is pleased to announce that Annamarie Phelps CBE has been appointed Vice President of World Rowing following her election at the World Rowing Ordinary Congress held in Shanghai.
From 2013 to 2018, Annamarie was the Chairman of British Rowing, during which time she also served as Vice Chair of the British Paralympic Association.
“I’m absolutely delighted for Annamarie, who has run a brilliant campaign,” said Mark Davies, Interim CEO of British Rowing.
“She obviously has fantastic credentials to take this role, having chaired British Rowing and served as President of European Rowing, in addition to her wider involvement in sports administration. But these things are not always as simple as pointing to your credentials, even when they are as good as hers. She has done a terrific job to get to this point, and I have no doubt that she is going to do a terrific job now that she has been elected to the role.”
Annamarie’s campaign was built upon a vision for a stronger, more inclusive, and sustainable future for rowing.
Annamarie’s work with World Rowing has been longstanding. She is currently the Chair of the World Rowing Governance Working Group and, from 2016 to 2022, was World Rowing’s Commonwealth Coordinator. Her work extends far beyond rowing, having been Chair of the British Horseracing Authority and the Chair of the Cycling Independent Review.
Since 2017, Annamarie has been the Vice Chair of the British Olympic Association and, most recently, has been President of the European Rowing Board as well as Co-Chair of the Global Executive for the International Working Group on Women and Sport.
Since being crowned World Champion in 1993 and becoming an Olympian in 1996, Annamarie has forged a career that has seen her play a pivotal role across the sporting landscape. Annamarie has won multiple medals in the Lightweight Four and has stood on the podium at the Commonwealth Rowing Championships. Annamarie has also been a world indoor champion and held indoor rowing world records.
Alongside studying Geography at St John’s College, Cambridge, Annamarie was part of the crew that raced Blondie to victory over Osiris in the 1987 Oxford-Cambridge Reserve Boat Race. After graduating, she balanced training for the Olympics and World Championships alongside work as an art dealer, consultant, author, editor, and curator.
Earlier this month, Annamarie spoke with British Rowing about lessons from sport and beyond that have shaped her career after rowing.
Annamarie Phelps CBE will take over as Vice President of World Rowing on 1 January 2026
