Angus's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Rowing
Event: Men’s Eight
Olympic History: Tokyo Debutant
Coach: Rhett Ayliffe
Highlights: Winning the 2019 U23 World Championships Men’s Coxed Fours
Year Born: 2000
Born: Bedford Park, SA
Junior Club: Adelaide Rowing Club (Adelaide, SA)
About Angus
South Australian Angus Dawson joined the 2021 Australian Rowing Team after a strong showing at the U23 World Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida in 2019. Alongside interstate teammates Ben Canham, Mitchell Cooper and Adam Bakker, as well as coxswain Caitlin Hockings, the Australian crew defeated rivals Great Britain and Italy in the narrowest of fashions and were declared World Champions in the Men's Coxed Fours.
Credit: The Advertiser
At the South Australian Sports Institute, Dawson excelled under the tutelage of Head coach Jason Lane, where a focus on national team representation and contributing to podium success at international events has been paramount.
After his initial success in the United States, Dawson accepted a four-year rowing scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was to study business while continuing to grow in his sport on the American collegiate level.
The decorated young rower made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, stepping into a larger boat at the senior level on sport's greatest stage.
In Tokyo, the crew came up against rowing powerhouses in their Heat, including World Champions Germany as well as the USA and Romania. The fast race was dominated early by the American and German crews with Australia finishing fourth behind Romania to proceed to the repechage.
The crew was able to advance to the A-Final after they finished the repechage in fourth position, this time ahead of the Romanians, and they once again faced a stacked field in the race for medals. Racing out of lane six against the USA, New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain, the Australian crew was behind at the start and unable to make up the time or speed throughout the race they finished sixth overall.
Read More
