Intro

Karen Bennett ended her first full season in the GB Rowing Team’s senior ranks in memorable style – by winning an historic silver medal with the women’s eight at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Bennett is a graduate from the British Rowing World Class Start programme. She won silver in the women’s four at the 2015 World Championships before establishing herself in the eight boat for 2016.

A world university gold-medallist in 2014, Bennett is also a European champion and will be looking to build on her successful season during the Tokyo Olympiad.

Her 2017 season has started well, winning gold in the women’s pair with Holly Norton at the opening World Cup in Belgrade, following it up with a bronze at the European Championships in Racice. Bennett returned to the eight for the second World Cup, winning silver in Poznan and, after a brief return to the pair for Lucerne, Bennett was selected in the eight for the 2017 World Championships, finishing fifth.

 

 

On The Water

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

After impressing in training and trials throughout the winter, Bennett was selected for the women’s eight at the start of the 2016 season and helped to secure an eye-catching gold at the European Championships in Brandenburg, with GB surging through to take the victory in a perfectly judged race.

Another thrilling late push at the Lucerne World Cup saw the GB eight go mighty close to overhauling the Olympic and world champions from the United States. They won silver again at the World Cup in Poznan, this time behind New Zealand.

No British women’s eight had ever won an Olympic medal but Bennett and her crew-mates ended that wait at Rio 2016 as they took silver in a photo finish after an epic race, featuring another trademark surge through the field in the second half.

Bennett was selected for the senior GB Rowing Team for the first time in 2014 as part of the women’s eight that competed at the Windermere Cup in Seattle.

She also represented Britain at the 2014 World University Rowing Championships in Gravelines, France, teaming up with Becca Chin, Pippa Whittaker and Michelle Vezie to win women’s four gold with a dominant performance.

In 2015, Bennett finished sixth with Katherine Douglas in the women’s pair at the GB Rowing Team Senior and U23 Truials. She was given another chance to impress at the Essen Regatta in Germany, and she took it with both hands, winning dougle gold with Chin in the women’s pair. The same partnership competed as a second GB pair at the World Cups in Varese and Lucerne, finishing tenth in both.

Bennett and Chin were then selected alongside Lucinda Gooderham and Holly Norton for a women’s four at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, where they won an impressive silver medal.

 

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Bennett was a member of the women’s eight that finished fifth at the 2011 World Rowing U23 Championships in Amsterdam.

GB Competitive Record

Year	Event	Position	Boat
2019	World Rowing Championships Linz Ottensheim, AUT	5	W8+
2019	World Rowing Cup III Rotterdam, NED	5	W8+
2019	World Rowing Cup II Poznan, POL	Bronze	W8+
2019	European Rowing Championships Lucerne, SUI	Silver	W8+
2018	World Rowing Championships Plovdiv, BUL	6	W8+
2018	European Rowing Championships Glasgow, GBR	Silver	W8+
2018	World Rowing Cup II Linz Ottensheim, AUT	Silver	W4-
2018	World Rowing Cup I Belgrade, SRB	Silver	W8+
2017	World Rowing Championships Sarasota-Bradenton, USA	5	W8+
2017	World Rowing Cup III Lucerne, SUI	4	W2-
2017	World Rowing Cup II Poznan, POL	Silver	W8+
2017	European Rowing Championships Racice, CZE	Bronze	W2-
2017	World Rowing Cup I Belgrade, SRB	Gold	W2-
2016	Olympic Games Regatta Rio de Janeiro, BRA	Silver	W8+
2016	World Rowing Cup III Poznan, POL	Silver	W8+
2016	World Rowing Cup II Lucerne, SUI	Silver	W8+
2016	European Rowing Championships Brandenburg, GER	Gold	W8+
2015	World Rowing Championships Aiguebelette, FRA	Silver	W4-
2015	World Rowing Cup III Lucerne, SUI	4 (FB Final)	W2-
2015	World Rowing Cup II Varese, ITA	4 (FB Final)	W2-
2011	Under 23 World Rowing Championships Amsterdam, NED	5 (F Final)	BW8+

More Info

Club: Leander Club
Boat: Women’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: Jane Hall
Learnt to Row: Heart of Scotland BC at Strathclyde Park
Original Club(s): Heart of Scotland BC
Original Coach(es): Lee Boucher

Beyond The Boat

A part-time rowing coach, Bennett studied Sports Rehabilitation at St Mary’s University in London and developed her talent with the GB Rowing Team Start programme in Glasgow.

She is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Place of Birth	Current Address	Hometown	Region
Perth, Australia	East Molesey	Edinburgh	Scotland

Date of Birth	Weight	Height
5th February 1989	75kg	179cm

Education
St Mary’s University