Louise Kingsley

Louise has been GB Rowing Team Director of Performance since December 2021.

She is the first female to lead British Rowing’s Performance programme since the advent of Lottery funding in 1997 and has more than 20 years’ experience from within the sport, initially as a successful coach, running the governing body’s performance pathway and Paralympic programme. She also successfully led the GB Rowing Team para squad as ‘Team Leader’ at four Paralympic Games, in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games.

Under Louise’s stewardship, at Paris 2024, the GB Rowing Team achieved its most successful Olympic Games ever by number of medallists, with 36 out of 42 athletes coming home with a medal, making it also our most successful overseas Olympic Games ever. Great Britain also topped the Para Rowing medal table at the 2024 Paralympic Games, with three gold and one silver medal making it our best-ever Paralympic Games.

Louise was also a successful international rowing coach who coached GB’s first ever junior women’s World Championships medal in 1993. She joined the GB Rowing Team in 1997 as High Performance Coach for New Talent (Women) and went on to coach at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Reward for Louise comes from seeing the rowers and those around her, progress and achieve levels they never dreamed of.  A lifelong sportswoman and accomplished archer, away from work Louise enjoys an active life. She has a faithful labrador and is often seen walking along the riverbank.  She is also a Non-Executive Director at British Shooting.

Louise’s ideal dinner guests would include Pierre de Coubertin, Stella Rimington and her father.