James's Story
Fast Facts
Sport: Rowing
Event: Women’s Sweep Squad (coxswain)
Olympic History: Tokyo 2020
Coach: Tom Westgarth and John Keogh (Head Coach)
Highlights: Earning silver at the 2019 World Championships
Year Born: 1997
Born: Malvern, VIC
Junior Club: Scotch College (Hawthorn, VIC)
About James
James Rook became the first man to cox an Australian Women’s Eight at a World Rowing Cup and World Rowing Championships in 2018, when he led his crew to respective bronze medals at each competition.
Rook reprised his position in the Women’s Eight for the 2019 season, where he helped the crew to a gold medal at World Rowing Cup 2, while earning respective silver medals at World Rowing Cup 3 and the World Rowing Championships.
Rook’s first appearances in the Australian Senior Rowing Team came in the 2017 season, when he was named as coxswain for Men’s Eight and Men’s Coxed Pair, winning a silver medal in the latter event of the 2017 World Championships alongside Angus Widdicombe and Darcy Wruck.
The Olympic debutant made history in Tokyo as the first male coxswain to cox an Australian Women's Eight at an Olympic Games. The crew also equalled Australia's best ever result in this boat class with a fifth place result. The crew's position in the Final coming via the repechage which they contested after finishing third in their heat behind the USA and Romania. Their position in the Final secured after a fourth place finish in the repechage.
The crew looked to finish their Games regatta on a high and started fast in the Final setting a strong pace and rhythm to keep up with the Canadian boat who took an early lead. Placed second after the first 500-metres and only 0.66 seconds off the pace, the Australians fought hard to hold their position, but the opposition were too strong and after fading in the second half of the race, the Australians finished fifth overall.