Thomas William Kenelm Digby (born 23 July 1998) is a British national representative rower.[1] He is an Olympic and two-time world champion.

Tom Digby
Personal information
Full nameThomas William Kenelm Digby
NationalityBritish
Born (1998-07-23) 23 July 1998 (age 26)
Henley-on-Thames, England
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportRowing
EventEights
ClubOxford Brookes
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Eight
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Račice Eight
Gold medal – first place 2023 Belgrade Eight
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Oberschleißheim Eight
Gold medal – first place 2023 Bled Eight
Gold medal – first place 2024 Szeged Eight

School, varsity & club rowing

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Raised in Henley-on-Thames, Digby was introduced to rowing at the Upper Thames Rowing Club.[1] He attended Abingdon School where he gained colours in rowing and was the captain of the eights for the Abingdon School Boat Club. Whilst still at school he set national age records on the ergometer, won national indoor rowing competitions and ultimately made selection to the GB junior representative squad in all three of his senior school years.[1] After leaving Abingdon in 2016 he attended Yale University where he rowed in the Yale senior 1st eight for three successive inter-collegiate racing seasons.[2][3]

Digby's senior club rowing has been from the Oxford Brookes University Boat Club. In 2023, he won his third consecutive Grand Challenge Cup (the blue riband event at the Henley Royal Regatta) rowing for Oxford Brookes.[4]

International representative career

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Digby first achieved national selection for Great Britain while still a schoolboy when selected in a junior coxed four to race at the 2014 Junior World Rowing Championships.[5] Rowing in that crew with his Yale and future world champion crewmate Charles Elwes, Digby won a silver medal. Elwes & Digby stayed in that crew for the 2015 Junior World Championships and won another silver.[5] At the 2016 Junior World Championships Digby rowed in the British quad scull which finished in overall 11th place.[5]

In 2017 Digby moved into the Great Britain U23 representative squad. He raced and achieved podium finishes at three successive U23 World Rowing Championships - silver in the 4- in 2017; silver in the 8+ in 2018 and gold in the 4- in 2019.[5]

2022 saw Digby selected to the six seat of the Great Britain senior men's eight. In that international season the eight won gold at two World Rowing Cups and at the 2022 European Rowing Championships.[6] Digby in the British eight went on to win gold and a world championship title at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in Račice. In 2023 Digby won a second successive world championship in the men's eight at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.[7]

He won a gold medal as part of the Great Britain eight at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Profile". British Rowing. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  2. ^ "I was fat until I took up rowing, now I'm in the GB squad". Henley Standard. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Candidates for Degrees". Yale University. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Leander, Oxford Brookes and Thames dominate at Henley Royal Regatta". British Rowing. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Tom Digby at World Rowing
  6. ^ "European Championships Munich 2022: GB win four rowing gold medals". BBC. 13 August 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Catch-up: World Rowing Championships Finals: GB wins Gold in Men's Eight". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Britain's men win gold and women bronze in eights". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
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