Henry Fieldman, Great Britain's coxswain, has etched his name in the annals of Olympic history by becoming the first person to win medals in both men’s and women’s rowing events. Reflecting on this monumental achievement, Fieldman described it as the "honour of his life."
Fieldman first earned Olympic glory as the cox of the men’s eight, who secured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. He has now repeated that feat, this time with the women’s eight at the Paris Olympics.
“They only changed the rule back in 2017. Someone was going to do it, and it happened to be me,” said the 35-year-old from Hammersmith, modestly acknowledging his historic achievement. He also praised Harry Brightmore, who coxed the men’s eight in Paris, noting that Brightmore was a better fit for the men’s team while Fieldman brought valuable experience to the women’s crew.
In a fiercely contested final, Britain’s women’s eight narrowly missed out on a silver medal, finishing just 0.67 seconds behind Canada, with world champions Romania claiming gold.
Fieldman, who is now contemplating his future in the sport, reflected on the journey that led to this moment. “In the last Games, we won everything in the season running up to Tokyo and then came away with a bronze, which was a bit of a disappointment. Not having friends and family there was tough, and I think everyone in the world was burnt out by the pandemic by then,” he said.
This time around, Fieldman feels a deep sense of pride in the team’s performance. “I feel for this one we’ve done a pretty good job, and I’m really proud of the team. It’s been the honour of my life to work with this squad.”
He also highlighted the challenges and resilience of the women’s crew, noting the differences between the men’s and women’s programs. “The programme for the women is different to the men, and each stroke on average is probably harder. I’ve been super impressed by them, a really supportive group. They’ve been through a lot of ups and downs and challenges.”
As Fieldman reflects on his historic achievement, the rowing community and fans alike will be eagerly awaiting his decision on whether he will continue in the sport or retire, leaving behind a legacy as one of the sport’s greats.
