Phelan Hill CBE

Cox // Men's Squad
Date of Birth: 21st Jul 1979 (44 years old)
Club: Leander Club
Height: 175.00
Hometown: Bedford

Phelan Hill CBE profile image

Phelan Hill has been coxswain of the GB Rowing Team men’s eight for the past two Olympiads, playing an integral role in the boat’s success during that time.

Phelan Hill guided the eight to gold at three successive World Championships and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, having won a bronze medal at London 2012.

Phelan is currently taking time out from his work as a Senior Policy Advisor with HM Treasury, who are hugely supportive of his rowing career.

 

 

Phelan coxed the men's eight to gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and three successive World Championships

On The Water

2016

Olympic Champion Men's Eight

European Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2015

World Champion Men's Eight

European Silver Medallist Men's Eight

2014

World Champion Men's Eight

European Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2013

World Champion Men's Eight

2012

Olympic Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2010 & 2011

World Silver Medallist Men's Eight

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

Phelan was once again selected as cox of the men’s eight for the 2016 season and guided them to a bronze medal at the European Championships in Brandenburg, GB taking third place on the line. Alan Sinclair subbed in for the ill Pete Reed for the Lucerne World Cup, where GB finished fourth. Pete returned for the World Cup in Poznan, where the GB eight enjoyed a good tussle with the Olympic champions from Germany on their way to a silver medal.

The eight saved their best until last, winning their Olympic heat in fine fashion before producing a devastating performance in the final to lead from the front and record an emphatic victory to be crowned as Rio 2016 gold-medallists.

It completed a golden Rio 2016 Olympiad for Phelan after coxing the men’s eight to three successive World Championship titles.

The latest came at the end of an enthralling 2015 that saw the GB eight enjoy a season-long battle with Germany. They had the upper hand at the European Championships in Poznan, Poland as the GB crew finished runners-up.

After coaching the men’s pair of Matt Tarrant and Callum McBrierty to the A final at the World Cup in Varese, Phelan returned to the eight in Lucerne as GB held off a late surge from Germany to win by just eight-hundredths of a second.

The World Championships promised even more drama and did not disappoint as the rivals went head to head once again. This time the GB eight won by two-tenths of a second to claim gold for a third successive year.

Phelan started the Rio Olympiad by coxing the eight to a historic first-ever World Championship gold. They also won two World Cup regattas that year.

The 2014 season saw Phelan and the eight win bronze at both the European Championships and the World Cup in Lucerne before the GB crew returned to the top of the podium in style at the World Championships, recording a convincing victory in Amsterdam.

Phelan Hill

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Phelan established himself as cox of the eight in 2009, winning two bronze medals in the World Cup series and finishing fifth at the World Championships in Poznan.

The eight made a big step up in 2010 as they followed up gold and two bronze at the World Cups with a superb silver medal at the World Championships in New Zealand, finishing just six-tenths of a second behind Germany.

It was a similar story in 2011, with Phelan coxing the eight to another World Championships silver medal in Bled. They also won World Cup silver in Munich and bronze in Lucerne.

World Cup silver in Belgrade and Lucerne, plus bronze in Munich, saw the GB men’s eight go into the London 2012 Olympics among the medal favourites and they went on to claim bronze behind Germany and Canada.

GB Competitive Record

Olympic Games
Rio de Janeiro 2016 M8+
London 2012 M8+
Olympic Games:
Rio de Janeiro 2016
M8+
Olympic Games:
London 2012
M8+
World Rowing Championships
2015 M8+
2014 M8+
2013 M8+
2011 M8+
2010 M8+
2009 5th M8+
2007 4th M4+
World Rowing Championships:
2015
M8+
World Rowing Championships:
2014
M8+
World Rowing Championships:
2013
M8+
World Rowing Championships:
2011
M8+
World Rowing Championships:
2010
M8+
World Rowing Championships:
2009
5th
M8+
World Rowing Championships:
2007
4th
M4+
European Championships
2016 M8+
2015 M8+
2014 M8+
2008 6th M8+
European Championships:
2016
M8+
European Championships:
2015
M8+
European Championships:
2014
M8+
European Championships:
2008
6th
M8+
World Rowing Cup Regattas
2016 Poznan M8+
2016 Lucerne 4th M8+
2015 Lucerne M8+
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Poznan
M8+
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Lucerne
4th
M8+
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2015 Lucerne
M8+

More info...

Phelan’s GB debut with the eight had also ended in victory, at the World Cup in Amsterdam in 2007.

He had started coxing at Bedford School in 1995 to help some friends who were in need of a cox. He enjoyed it so much he decided to carry on and cox both at his school and his local rowing club.

Phelan returned to the sport in 2002 after joining London Rowing Club and, in his first season, coxed the England lightweight eight to gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Championships.

He repeated that achievement at the 2006 Commonwealth Championships and also enjoyed success at the Henley Royal Regatta with London RC.

After making his first GB appearance in Amsterdam, Phelan guided the men’s coxed four to fourth place at the 2007 World Championships and coxed the eight to sixth place at the following year’s European Championships.

Club: Leander Club
Boat: Men’s Squad
Role: Cox
Coaches: Jurgen Grobler
Learnt to Row: Bedford School
Original Club(s): Bedford School Boat Club
Original Coach(es): John West, Christian Felkel

Beyond the Boat

Phelan graduated from the University of Leicester in 2001 with a degree in Law. He then attended Law school in York before moving to London in 2002.

He worked as a Senior Policy Advisor with HM Treasury before taking time out to focus on his career with the GB Rowing Team.

When not rowing he enjoys improving his golf swing, travelling around the world and playing the didgeridoo.

Phelan is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Current Address Home Town Region
Putney Bedford Bedfordshire
Current Address:
Putney
Home Town:
Bedford
Region:
Bedfordshire
Date of Birth Height
21st July 1979 175cm
Date of Birth:
21st July 1979
Height:
175cm
Education
Bedford School, University of Leicester
Education:
Bedford School, University of Leicester