Dan Williamson

Last updated

Dan Williamson
2021 NZL men's eight at the FOQR Dan Williamson (cropped).jpg
Personal information
Full nameDaniel Hunter Williamson
Born (2000-03-30) 30 March 2000 (age 23)
Auckland, New Zealand
EducationYale University
Height6'6
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
Sport Rowing
ClubAuckland Rowing Club
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2020 Tokyo Eight

Daniel Hunter Williamson (born 30 March 2000) is an Olympic champion New Zealand rower. [1]

Contents

Early life

Williamson was born on 30 March 2000 in Auckland [2] and grew up in Beachlands, an outer suburb of Auckland. He attended Howick College, where he took up rowing in 2014. In the following year, he began attending King's College. [3] He was an avid athlete, but his limbs were growing fast. He had to quit soccer due to chronic shin splints. This prompted young Daniel to take up rowing.

Rowing career

At age 14, Dan's rowing career began at Counties Manakau Rowing Club with encouragement from his best friend's mother. He spent his first year rowing for Counties and Howick College. He won 5th in the U16 Single, shocking his friends and family and pushing him to greatness.

Before attending Yale University, Daniel was the 2017 NZ National Champion in U18 2-, U18 4x+, U17 4x+ and he won Bronze in the U17 4+. At the 2017 World Rowing Championships, he won Silver in the M4-. He was also named the 2017 Kings College Sportsman of the year. In 2018, Williamson was the NZ National Champion in U20 2-, U22 2-, U22 4-, and he won Bronze in the premier 8+. He also won bronze at the 2018 World Rowing U23 Championships in M4-. [4]

In his first year at Yale, he sat in the stroke seat in the 1V to help win gold at the 2019 IRA Nationals. He also helped the Yale 1v to win Eastern Sprints that year.

He won gold in the men's eight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. [5]

In his final year at Yale, Williamson was named the recipient of the William Neely Mallory Award, the most prestigious athletic award given to a senior male at Yale. The Mallory Award is presented to the senior man who on the field of play and in life at Yale best represents the highest ideals of American sportsmanship and Yale tradition. [6]

Related Research Articles

Richard "Rusty" Donald Wailes, a.k.a. Perfect Oarsman was an American rower.

Tom Laurich is an Australian former rower – a junior world champion, a national champion, an Olympian and a medallist at World Championships. He has coached crews at the elite world class level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahé Drysdale</span> New Zealand rower

Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale is a retired New Zealand rower. Drysdale is a two-time Olympic champion and a five-time world champion in the single sculls. He is a seven-time New Zealand national champion and five-time recipient of New Zealand Sportsman of the Year.

Shane Joseph O'Brien is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Keith Charles Trask is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Verdonk</span> New Zealand rower (1959–2020)

Eric Franciscus Maria Verdonk was a New Zealand rower who won bronze medals in the single sculls events at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1986 Commonwealth Games, and 1990 World Rowing Championships.

Ian Andrew Wright is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Wright has won 31 national titles during his career. After his rowing career ended, he became a coach and his Swiss lightweight men's four team won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is now Australia's head rowing coach announced in September 2016. He immediately coached the Australian men's four to a gold medal at the 2017 world rowing championships.

Peter Gregory Johnston, known as Greg Johnston, is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. During his rowing career, Johnston has won 26 national championship titles in rowing, and was world champion in 1983 in the coxed four event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howick College</span> School

Howick College is a state co-educational secondary school located in the eastern Auckland, New Zealand suburb of Cockle Bay. Serving Years 9 to 13, the school has a roll of 2111 students as of April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Sauer (rowing)</span> German rower

Martin Sauer is a German rowing coxswain. He is an eight-time world champion at the senior level and three-time underage world champion. He is a triple Olympian and a dual Olympic medallist. He has held his seat as coxswain of the German senior men's eight—the Deutschlandachter—constantly from 2009 to 2021 and steered that crew to their six world championship titles and also when at the 2017 World Rowing Cup II they set a world's best time of 5.18.68, still the standing world mark as of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Prendergast</span> New Zealand rower

Grace Elizabeth Prendergast is a former New Zealand sweep rower. She is a 15-time national champion in the premier category, an Olympic champion, a five-time world champion and the current (2022) world champion in the coxless pair. She grew up in Christchurch, where she started rowing for the Avon Rowing Club in 2007. She competed at the Tokyo Olympics in two boat classes and won gold in the coxless pair and a silver in the eight and set a new world's best time in the pair. Various parties, including the World Rowing Federation, expected her to win medals in Tokyo. She was the highest ranked female rower in the world twice in a row in 2019 and 2021. Since 2014, her rowing partner in the coxless pair has been Kerri Gowler. Prendergast is also a Boat Race winner, having competed as part of Cambridge University Boat Club's (CUBC) women's crew in 2022. She retired from professional rowing in October 2022.

Spencer Alf Turrin is an Australian representative rower. He is a national champion, twice world champion, a dual Olympian and an Olympic champion. He competed and won medals in the Australian senior men's coxless four at every World Rowing Championship from 2013 to 2018, culminating in consecutive world championship gold at Sarasota 2017 and 2018 Plovdiv. He rowed in the two seat of the Australian men's coxless four to a gold medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Brake</span> New Zealand rower

Michael Brake is a New Zealand rower. He is a dual Olympian and won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Murray (New Zealand rower)</span> New Zealand rower

Thomas James Murray is a New Zealand rower. Born and raised in Blenheim, he is a member of New Zealand's national rowing team and has competed in the eight and in the coxless pair. In the smaller boat, he has medalled in two World Rowing Championships; bronze in 2017 and silver in 2019. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he competed with the eight and won gold in the same boat class at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Murray has won four consecutive premier national titles in the coxless pair. He has been world champion in age group rowing events three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lindstrom</span> New Zealand rower

David Edward Lindstrom is a New Zealand rower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooke Donoghue</span> New Zealand rower

Brooke Donoghue is a New Zealand rower. She has twice won the world championship in the double scull alongside Olivia Loe, is the incumbent world champion, and won a silver medal in this boat class at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with her new rowing partner, Hannah Osborne. As of 2021, she has won ten premier national rowing championships.

Ashlee Rowe is a New Zealand rower.

Alexander (Steve) Purnell is an Australian rower. He is an Olympic and national champion who has represented at underage and senior world championships. In 2018 in an Australian eight, he won the Grand Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. He rowed in the bow seat of the Australian men's coxless four to a gold medal victory at the Tokyo Olympics.

Jack Lopas is a New Zealand rower. He is nominated to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the double sculls in a team with Chris Harris.

References

  1. "Dan Williamson". Olympedia. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  2. "Daniel Williamson". New Zealand Olympic Committee . Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  3. "Daniel Williamson". Rowing New Zealand . Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  4. "Yale Roster". Yale University. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  5. "Rowing – Heat 2 Results". Tokyo 2020. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  6. "Williamson Earns Mallory Award". Yale University. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.