Peter Chambers

Rower // Lightweight Men's Squad
Date of Birth: 14th Mar 1990 (34 years old)
Club: Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
Height: 186.00
Hometown: Coleraine

Peter Chambers profile image

Peter Chambers built on an impressive junior and U23 career in style when he won silver in the lightweight men’s fours at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Chambers has also been crowned World and European champion in the lightweight men’s pair and demonstrated his versatility by winning World bronze with brother, Richard, in the lightweight double sculls in 2013.

Chambers made his second Olympic appearance at Rio 2016.

In his 2017 season he raced with Will Fletcher in the lightweight men’s double sculls at the opening World Cup in Belgrade and culminated in a silver medal at the World Rowing Championships in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls.

Chambers announced his retirement in 2019. “It’s never easy to step away but I’ve achieved everything I could as an athlete,” Chambers said. “I started coaching last year and realised I now prefer being on the other side of the sport. I’m really looking forward to giving back to the sport I love.”

Peter made his second Olympic appearance at Rio 2016 having won silver at London 2012

On The Water

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013-2016

After a tough winter of training and trialling, Chambers was once again selected alongside Mark Aldred, Chris Bartley and Jono Clegg in the lightweight men’s four for the 2016 season. They made an impressive start, finishing runners-up to the world champions from Switzerland at the European Championships in Brandenburg. The GB four then finished fifth at the World Cup in Lucerne but returned to the podium at the Poznan World Cup after winning bronze.

The four were runners-up in their opening heat at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but had to settle for fourth place in the semi-final. They ended the regatta on a strong note, though, by winning the B final to finish seventh overall.

Chambers started 2015 in the lightweight men’s pair with fellow Coleraine rower Joel Cassells and set a new championship record while winning European gold in Poznan.

He returned to the lightweight four for the rest of the season and finished fourth at the World Cup in Varese but missed out on the A final in Lucerne, although the four did win an exciting B final after an excellent race for the line with Spain.

Together with Jono Clegg, Mark Aldred and Chris Bartley, Chambers was selected for the World Championships in Aiguebelette and although the crew was disappointed to finish ninth overall, they did achieve their main objective by qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Chambers started the Rio Olympiad in the lightweight four, winning world cup silver in Sydney, but spent the rest of the season in the lightweight double scull with brother, Richard Chambers. After claiming world cup silver and bronze in Eton Dorney and Lucerne, they were also third at the World Championships in Chungju.

The 2014 season saw the Chambers brothers return to the lightweight four where, alongside Mark Aldred and Chris Bartley, they won a hard-fought silver at the European Championships. Bronze medals followed at the World Cups in Aiguebelette and Lucerne before another third-placed finish was secured in a competitive World Championships final in Amsterdam.

Mark Aldred, Peter Chambers, Chris Bartley and Richard Chambers won lightweight men's four bronze at the 2014 World Championships in Amsterdam

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009-2012

Chambers’ silver at the London 2012 Olympic Games came just a year after his first appearance in a senior Olympic class boat.

He made his GB Rowing Team debut in 2009 as part of a lightweight men’s quad that won bronze at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Racice.

In 2010, Peter had his first experience of racing in a world cup series, placing 12th in the lightweight men’s double sculls on Lake Bled and sixth in the lightweight men’s singles in Munich.  It was in the single that he was selected to race at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Brest, where he took silver.  Peter also made his senior world championship debut that year, placing sixth in the single on Lake Karapiro in New Zealand.

After winning a silver in the lightweight men’s pair with Kieren Emery at the 2011 Munich World Cup, Chambers was selected for the lightweight men’s four for the first time and won World Cup gold in Lucerne. He returned to the pair with Emery for the World Rowing U23 Championships, winning another gold, and the duo went on to repeat that achievement at the senior World Rowing Championships in Bled.

Chambers raced in the four throughout 2012 alongside brother Richard, Chris Bartley and Rob Williams. They won silver in Belgrade and bronze in Lucerne before finishing the World Cup series with gold in Munich. An extremely close Olympic final at Eton Dorney saw the GB four finish just two-tenths of a second behind South Africa but they held off Denmark to secure silver.

GB Competitive Record

Olympic Games
Rio de Janeiro 2016 7th LM4-
London 2012 LM4-
Olympic Games:
Rio de Janeiro 2016
7th
LM4-
Olympic Games:
London 2012
LM4-
World Rowing Championships
2017 LM4x
2015 9th LM4-
2014 LM4-
2013 LM2x
2011 LM2-
2010 6th LM1x
World Rowing Championships:
2017
LM4x
World Rowing Championships:
2015
9th
LM4-
World Rowing Championships:
2014
LM4-
World Rowing Championships:
2013
LM2x
World Rowing Championships:
2011
LM2-
World Rowing Championships:
2010
6th
LM1x
European Rowing Championships
2017 6th LM2x
2016 LM2-
2015 LM2-
2014 LM4-
European Rowing Championships:
2017
6th
LM2x
European Rowing Championships:
2016
LM2-
European Rowing Championships:
2015
LM2-
European Rowing Championships:
2014
LM4-
World Rowing Cup Regattas
2017 Lucerne 8th LM1x
2017 Belgrade LM2x
2016 Poznan LM4-
2016 Lucerne 5th LM4-
2015 Lucerne 7th LM4-
2015 Varese 4th LM4-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2017 Lucerne
8th
LM1x
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2017 Belgrade
LM2x
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Poznan
LM4-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Lucerne
5th
LM4-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2015 Lucerne
7th
LM4-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2015 Varese
4th
LM4-
World Rowing U23 Championships
2011 LM2-
2010 LM1x
2009 LM4x
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2011
LM2-
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2010
LM1x
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2009
LM4x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials
2016 2nd LM2-
2015 6th LM1x
2014 3rd LM1x
2013 1st LM1x
2012 2nd LM1x
2011 6th LM1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2016
2nd
LM2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2015
6th
LM1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2014
3rd
LM1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2013
1st
LM1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2012
2nd
LM1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2011
6th
LM1x

More info...

Club: Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
Boat: Lightweight Men’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: Darren Whiter
Learnt to Row: Bann Rowing Club
Original Club(s): Bann Rowing Club
Original Coach(es): Seamus Reynolds, Henry Bailhache-Webb, Peter Sheppard

Beyond the Boat

The younger brother of fellow GB rower and Olympian Richard Chambers, Peter enjoys spending time with his niece and nephew.  He has recently taken up golf and also enjoys woodwork – if he weren’t a rower, he says, he would either be a craftsman, pilot or in the police.

He is a keen sportsman, and particularly loves cycling – although he says he can’t go round corners.  His favourite TV programmes are The Good Wife and Family Guy, while American country pop group The Rascal Flatts are his listening choice.

His ideal dinner party guests are his close mates – “I only really enjoy talking to them” – and his perfect post-competition meal is sweet and sour chicken Hong Kong style with egg-fried rice and a Fosters straight from the Happy Wok in Henley-on-Thames.

Chambers  is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Place of Birth Current Address Home Town Region
Ballymoney Oxford Coleraine Northern Ireland
Place of Birth:
Ballymoney
Current Address:
Oxford
Home Town:
Coleraine
Region:
Northern Ireland
Date of Birth Weight Height
14th March 1990 70kg 186cm
Date of Birth:
14th March 1990
Weight:
70kg
Height:
186cm
Education
Oxford Brookes University
Education:
Oxford Brookes University