Intro

Double Olympian John Collins represented GB in the men’s double sculls (M2x) with Jonny Walton in Rio (2016) and with Graeme Thomas in Tokyo (2020).

He was introduced to the sport through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and he went on to break numerous records on the junior and domestic stage.

John’s GB rowing career began at U23 level; he raced in the men’s quad sculls (B4x) in 2010 and 2011.

After racing at various World Cup regattas in 2012 and 2013, his first senior team appearances were in 2014 when he finished sixth at the European Championships in the double sculls (M2x) with Jonny Walton and then seventh at the World Championships. The duo were eighth at both Championships the following year, 2015, and then came fifth at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 in memorable style just a few weeks after winning their first World Cup medal together.

He raced in the men’s quad scull (M4x) throughout the 2017 season, except the European Championships, which he missed through illness. In the World Cup series, the quad won gold, silver and bronze and went on to take a dramatic silver at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton. Just minutes before the final was due to start, Peter Lambert suffered a back injury and was replaced by Graeme Thomas, who steered the boat to an impressive second place.

In 2018, after collecting gold medals at the World Cup I and III regattas, he and the quad came sixth at the European Championships and seventh at the Worlds. Back in the double for 2019, now with Graeme Thomas, he finished fourth at both the European and World Championships.

The combination stayed together for the 2021 season, winning the bronze medal at the European Championships before finishing in fourth place at the Olympic Games.

In 2022, John raced in the single sculls (M1x) at World Cup II and in the quad at World Cup III.

He was selected to row in the double at the 2023 European Championships, but the crew was withdrawn before racing started.

On The Water

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2012 – 2016

After finishing fifth in the GB Rowing Team Trials, Collins was once again selected alongside Jonny Walton in the men’s double scull for the 2016 season. They reached the final at the European Championships in Brandenburg, finishing sixth, and improved to fifth at the World Cup in Lucerne before winning a superb silver at the Poznan World Cup – their first senior medals with the GB Rowing Team.

They got off to a slow start at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but won their repechage to reach the semi-finals, where they produced a brilliant performance to hold off multiple crews and secure the top-three finish they needed. Another gutsy display in the final saw Collins and Walton finish a fine fifth overall on their Olympic debuts.

They qualified the men’s double for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with an eighth-placed finish at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette.

They started the season with a similar result at the European Championships in Poznan, missing out on a place in the A final by just five-hundredths of a second. Though also desperately unlucky to finish fourth in their semi-final at the World Cup in Varese – where they were less than a second behind the winners – they did however go on to comfortably win the B final. They then placed fifth in a strong field at the World Cup in Lucerne.

Collins and Walton were first paired together in the double at the 2014 European Championships, finishing sixth. They went one better at the World Cup in Aiguebelette and improved again to place fourth in Lucerne but narrowly missed out on qualification for the A final at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, finishing seventh overall.

Collins had started the Olympiad in a double with Peter Lambert, finishing fourth at the Sydney World Cup. He then raced in a second GB eight at Eton Dorney and Lucerne, finishing fourth and eighth respectively.

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Collins won a gold medal in the men’s eight at the 2009 Essen International Regatta before being selected for the 2010 World U23 Championships in Brest, placing ninth in the men’s quad alongside Walton.

He was 14th in the quad at the following year’s championships in Amsterdam, a rare disappointment in a 2011 season that saw Collins help Leander Club break all of the course records on the way to winning the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Collins won the Double Sculls Challenge Cup with Alan Sinclair in 2012 and also coached the victorious Henley RC crew that won the inaugural Junior Women’s Quads at Henley. He competed for GB at the European Championships in Varese, helping the men’s eight to a seventh place overall.

GB Competitive Record

Year	Event	Position	Boat
2022	World Cup III Lucerne, SUI	4 (Repechage)	M4x
2022	World Cup I Belgrade, SRB	1 (FC Final)	M1x
2020	Olympic Games Regatta Tokyo, JPN	4	M2x
2021	World Rowing Cup II Lucerne, SUI	4	M2x
2021	European Rowing Championships Varese, ITA	Bronze	M2x
2019	World Rowing Championships Linz Ottensheim, AUT	4	M2x
2019	World Rowing Cup III Rotterdam, NED	Bronze	M2x
2019	World Rowing Cup II Poznan, POL	Silver	M2x
2019	European Rowing Championships Lucerne, SUI	4	M2x
2018	World Rowing Championships Plovdiv, BUL	1 (FB Final)	M4x
2018	European Rowing Championships Glasgow, GBR	6	M4x
2018	World Rowing Cup III Lucerne, SUI	Gold	M4x
2018	World Rowing Cup II Linz Ottensheim, AUT	1 (FB Final)	M4x
2018	World Rowing Cup I Belgrade, SRB	Gold	M4x
2017	World Rowing Championships Sarasota-Bradenton, USA	Silver	M4x
2017	World Rowing Cup III Lucerne, SUI	Silver	M4x
2017	World Rowing Cup II Poznan, POL	Gold	M4x
2017	World Rowing Cup I Belgrade, SRB	Bronze	M4x
2016	Olympic Games Regatta Rio de Janeiro, BRA	5	M2x
2016	World Rowing Cup III Poznan, POL	Silver	M2x
2016	World Rowing Cup II Lucerne, SUI	5	M2x
2016	European Rowing Championships Brandenburg, GER	6	M2x
2015	World Rowing Championships Aiguebelette, FRA	2 (FB Final)	M2x
2015	World Rowing Cup III Lucerne, SUI	5	M2x
2015	World Rowing Cup II Varese, ITA	1 (FB Final)	M2x
2015	European Rowing Championships Poznan, POL	2 (FB Final)	M2x
2014	World Rowing Championships Amsterdam, NED	1 (FB Final)	M2x
2014	World Rowing Cup III Lucerne, SUI	4	M2x
2014	World Rowing Cup II Aiguebelette, FRA	5	M2x
2014	European Rowing Championships Belgrade, SRB	6	M2x
2013	World Rowing Cup III Lucerne, SUI	2 (FB Final)	M8+
2013	World Rowing Cup II Eton, GBR	4	M8+
2013	World Rowing Cup I Sydney, AUS	4	M2x
2012	European Championships Varese, ITA	1 (FB Final)	M4x
2011	Under 23 World Rowing Championships Amsterdam, NED	2 (FC Final)	BM4x
2010	Under 23 World Rowing Championships Brest, BLR	3 (FB Final)	BM4x

More Info

John made his first GB appearances as a junior in 2007. He won bronze in the double and was fifth in the quad at the Munich International Regatta, then claimed bronze in the pair at the Coupe de la Jeunesse.

Club: Leander Club
Boat: Men’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: Mark Banks
Learnt to Row: Putney Town Rowing Club
Original Club(s): Putney Town Rowing Club
Original Coach(es): Seamus Keating

Beyond The Boat

Collins first started rowing at Putney Town RC in 2005 when looking for a sport for his Duke of Edinburgh bronze award. His dad, Philip, was also a rower and suggested he would be good at the sport.

The following year, aged 17, he broke Sir Steve Redgrave’s record as the youngest ever winner of the Pairs Head of the River.

He is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Place of Birth	Current Address	Home Town	Region
Twickenham	Henley-on-Thames	Twickenham	Middlesex

Date of Birth	Height
24th January 1989	192cm

Education
Orleans Park School, Twickenham