Jamie Kirkwood

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

After finishing runner-up in the 2016 GB Rowing Team Trials, Jamie was selected in the lightweight men’s single scull for the European Championships in Brandenburg and narrowly missed out on a medal after a strong performance in difficult conditions in the final.

He was then named alongside Charles Waite-Roberts, Jamie Copus and Zak Lee-Green in the lightweight men’s quadruple scull for the World Championships in Rotterdam. Against a high-quality field, the GB quartet produced a fine performance to progress through a hard-fought repechage before finishing sixth overall.

Injury delayed the start to Jamie’s international season in 2015 but he made his return at the World Cup in Lucerne, finishing seventh in the lightweight men’s four with Peter Chambers, Mark Aldred and Chris Bartley. He then raced in the lightweight single scull at the World Championships in Aiguebelette, placing sixth.

He had also started the Olympiad in the single, finished fifth in Sydney, seventh at Eton Dorney and fourth in Lucerne during the 2013 World Cup series before coming eighth at the World Championships in Chungju.

Jamie partnered Will Fletcher in the lightweight double throughout 2014 and, after finishing ninth at both the European Championships in Belgrade and World Cup in Aiguebelette, they improved to fifth at the Lucerne World Cup. There was a deep field at the World Championships in Amsterdam, where Will and Jamie produced a strong performance to win the B final and place seventh overall.

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Jamie enjoyed a winning start to his GB Rowing Team career as he teamed up with Jono Clegg, David Jones and Will Fletcher to claim an impressive gold in the lightweight men’s four at the 2010 World U23 Championships in Brest.

He then competed in the lightweight men’s double scull with Sam Scrimgeour at the FISU World University Rowing Championships in Hungary a few weeks later, finishing eighth. He had won a silver in the lightweight single at the European Universities Championships earlier in the season.

Jamie – who won the Visitors’ Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 2010 and 2011 – made his senior GB debut in 2011 at the Munich World Cup, finishing 11th in a second lightweight four with Jono, Will and John Preston. The same crew then raced at the World U23 Championships in Amsterdam, finishing seventh overall.

He was named as the spare for the 2012 European Championships in Varese but spent much of the year recovering from glandular fever.

Jamie graduated from Roehampton University in 2012 with a 2:1 in Sport and Exercise Science.  He has always been a keen sportsman – he used to swim to County level before giving up to focus on his rowing – and is a qualified rowing coach.

He relaxes out of the boat by reading, keeping the brain ticking over with quizzes and watching TV and films – his favourite show is Allo Allo and Leon is his favourite movie. He also enjoys listening to Scouting For Girls and Mat Kearney, although he has a massive range of genres on his ergo mix.

Italy is his perfect travel destination – “sun, views, good food/wine and nice people!” – and his ideal meal is a curry with his mates at the Rajah Rowing Team Curry House in Putney.

He is Lottery funded through UK Sport.