John Collins

Rower // Men's Squad
Club: Leander Club
Hometown: Whitton, London

John Collins profile image

John took up rowing as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award after a childhood of being rubbish at sport.

After being introduced to the sport through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, John went on to break numerous records on the junior and domestic stage.

He was convinced by his dad Philip to give it a try. Philip was named after the Duke of Edinburgh, after his father, John’s grandfather, was presented with an OBE by the Prince.

Now in his 20th year in the sport, John is trying to compete at his third Olympics. The Olympics is the only international level competition John is yet to win a medal in. His favourite part of the Olympic experience is being a part of the same team as some famous sporting legends. He reached this realisation when he had a beer with Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Bradley Wiggins at the British House in Rio.

After the Tokyo Olympics John and his friend Dr Kevin Dutton became the first people to navigate the metro system of a major city on foot, in one go. After running all 320 miles to all stations on the London Underground and DLR they then ran the London Marathon. This was in aid of a homeless charity, and so the pair ‘slept rough’ between the days running.

His reason for taking up this massive challenge was to protect his mental health after a very tough Olympic games. This was inspired after a very tough post Rio period where he considered stepping away from the sport. John brings his work home, as he is in a relationship since 2016 with teammate Karen Bennett. He is a huge fan of combat sports, and his sporting hero is Muhammad Ali. After Rowing, John and Kevin want to do the New York Metro system and Marathon.

John made his Olympic debut at Rio 2016 and reached the men's double scull final in memorable fashion

On The Water

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2012 – 2016

After finishing fifth in the GB Rowing Team Trials, Collins was once again selected alongside Jonny Walton in the men’s double scull for the 2016 season. They reached the final at the European Championships in Brandenburg, finishing sixth, and improved to fifth at the World Cup in Lucerne before winning a superb silver at the Poznan World Cup – their first senior medals with the GB Rowing Team.

They got off to a slow start at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but won their repechage to reach the semi-finals, where they produced a brilliant performance to hold off multiple crews and secure the top-three finish they needed. Another gutsy display in the final saw Collins and Walton finish a fine fifth overall on their Olympic debuts.

They qualified the men’s double for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with an eighth-placed finish at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette.

They started the season with a similar result at the European Championships in Poznan, missing out on a place in the A final by just five-hundredths of a second. Though also desperately unlucky to finish fourth in their semi-final at the World Cup in Varese – where they were less than a second behind the winners – they did however go on to comfortably win the B final. They then placed fifth in a strong field at the World Cup in Lucerne.

Collins and Walton were first paired together in the double at the 2014 European Championships, finishing sixth. They went one better at the World Cup in Aiguebelette and improved again to place fourth in Lucerne but narrowly missed out on qualification for the A final at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, finishing seventh overall.

Collins had started the Olympiad in a double with Peter Lambert, finishing fourth at the Sydney World Cup. He then raced in a second GB eight at Eton Dorney and Lucerne, finishing fourth and eighth respectively.

Jonny Walton and John Collins in action last year

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Collins won a gold medal in the men’s eight at the 2009 Essen International Regatta before being selected for the 2010 World U23 Championships in Brest, placing ninth in the men’s quad alongside Walton.

He was 14th in the quad at the following year’s championships in Amsterdam, a rare disappointment in a 2011 season that saw Collins help Leander Club break all of the course records on the way to winning the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Collins won the Double Sculls Challenge Cup with Alan Sinclair in 2012 and also coached the victorious Henley RC crew that won the inaugural Junior Women’s Quads at Henley. He competed for GB at the European Championships in Varese, helping the men’s eight to a seventh place overall.

GB Competitive Record

Year Event Position Boat
2023 World Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
6 (E Final) M2x
2023 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
6 (B Final) M2x
2023 World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
1 (B Final) M2x
2022 World Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
4 (Repechage) M4x
2022 World Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
1 (FC Final) M1x
2020 Olympic Games Regatta
Tokyo, JPN
4 M2x
2021 World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
4 M2x
2021 European Rowing Championships
Varese, ITA
M2x
2019 World Rowing Championships
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
4 M2x
2019 World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
M2x
2019 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
M2x
2019 European Rowing Championships
Lucerne, SUI
4 M2x
2018 World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
1 (FB Final) M4x
2018 European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
6 M4x
2018 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M4x
2018 World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
1 (FB Final) M4x
2018 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
M4x
2017 World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
M4x
2017 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M4x
2017 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
M4x
2017 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
M4x
2016 Olympic Games Regatta
Rio de Janeiro, BRA
5 M2x
2016 World Rowing Cup III
Poznan, POL
M2x
2016 World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
5 M2x
2016 European Rowing Championships
Brandenburg, GER
6 M2x
2015 World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, FRA
2 (FB Final) M2x
2015 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
5 M2x
2015 World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
1 (FB Final) M2x
2015 European Rowing Championships
Poznan, POL
2 (FB Final) M2x
2014 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
1 (FB Final) M2x
2014 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
4 M2x
2014 World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
5 M2x
2014 European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
6 M2x
2013 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
2 (FB Final) M8+
2013 World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
4 M8+
2013 World Rowing Cup I
Sydney, AUS
4 M2x
2012 European Championships
Varese, ITA
1 (FB Final) M4x
2011 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
2 (FC Final) BM4x
2010 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Brest, BLR
3 (FB Final) BM4x
Year:
2023
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
6 (E Final)
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2023
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
6 (B Final)
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2023
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
Position:
1 (B Final)
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2022
Event:
World Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
4 (Repechage)
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2022
Event:
World Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
1 (FC Final)
Boat:
M1x
Year:
2020
Event:
Olympic Games Regatta
Tokyo, JPN
Position:
4
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2021
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
4
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2021
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Varese, ITA
Position:
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
Position:
4
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
Position:
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2019
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
4
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2018
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
Position:
6
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
Position:
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2016
Event:
Olympic Games Regatta
Rio de Janeiro, BRA
Position:
5
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2016
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2016
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
5
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2016
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Brandenburg, GER
Position:
6
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, FRA
Position:
2 (FB Final)
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
5
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2015
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Poznan, POL
Position:
2 (FB Final)
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
4
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
Position:
5
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2014
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
6
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
2 (FB Final)
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
Position:
4
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Sydney, AUS
Position:
4
Boat:
M2x
Year:
2012
Event:
European Championships
Varese, ITA
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
M4x
Year:
2011
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
2 (FC Final)
Boat:
BM4x
Year:
2010
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Brest, BLR
Position:
3 (FB Final)
Boat:
BM4x

Beyond the Boat

Collins first started rowing at Putney Town RC in 2005 when looking for a sport for his Duke of Edinburgh bronze award. His dad, Philip, was also a rower and suggested he would be good at the sport.

The following year, aged 17, he broke Sir Steve Redgrave’s record as the youngest ever winner of the Pairs Head of the River.

He is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Place of Birth Current Address Home Town Region
Twickenham Henley-on-Thames Twickenham Middlesex
Place of Birth:
Twickenham
Current Address:
Henley-on-Thames
Home Town:
Twickenham
Region:
Middlesex
Date of Birth Height
24th January 1989 192cm
Date of Birth:
24th January 1989
Height:
192cm
Education
Orleans Park School, Twickenham
Education:
Orleans Park School, Twickenham