 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1987-06-27)27 June 1987 (age 38) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Unity College | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 194 cm (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 116 kg (256 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Murray Bridge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | John Driessen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated on 4 August 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.JPG)
James McRae (born 27 June 1987)[1] is an Australian former representative rower. He is a national champion, world champion, three time Olympian,Olympic medallist and record holder. In the Australian men'squad scull he won a silver medal at the2016 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the2012 Summer Olympics.
McRae grew up inMurray BridgeSouth Australia and attended Murray Bridge Primary school and was dux ofUnity College, Murray Bridge. He commenced a B. Mech Eng at theUniversity of Adelaide in 2007.
McRae's siblings Jessica and Anna are Australian rowers who've held South Australian Sports Institute scholarships and won Australian titles.[2][3] Anna McRae has also competed internationally for Australia.[4]
McRae rows from the Murray Bridge Rowing Club.[5] He is aSouth Australian Sports Institute (SASI) Scholarship holder and was coached byAdrian David a Romanian former international oarsman.[6]
For nine consecutive years from 2008 to 2016 McCrae was seated in the South Australian men's eights who contested the King's Cup at theAustralian Rowing Championships.[7] In 2007 and 2011 he was also South Australia's selectee to contest the interstate men'sSingle scull – the President's Cup. In 2011 he won that event and also rowed in the open men'sQuad scull who won the national title.[8]
In October 2009 McRae was awarded life membership of the Murray Bridge Rowing Club for being the club's most successful rower and the club's first Olympian since their entire VIII of 1924 " the Murray Cods" competed atParis 1924.[9] He undertook a number of public speaking and promotional events after the Beijing games. In April 2010 McRae took part in an 'Active April' event involvingAustralian Broadcasting Corporation radio personalitiesTony McCarthy[who?] andJohn Kenneally.[10]
McRae began his international career competing with Matt Bolt in aDouble scull at the 2005World Rowing Junior Championships.[11]
McRae competed at the2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the men'sQuad scull.[12] In their first race at Beijing, the Australian crew of McRae,Daniel Noonan, Brendan Long andChris Morgan broke the world record to win their heat.[13] That time of 5:36.20 stood as the Olympic best time until the2020 Tokyo Olympics.[14] The quad finished second in their semi-final to secure a place in the Olympic final.[15] In the final the Australian quad crew was unable to capitalise on their earlier world record form and finished fourth.[16]
After Beijing, McRae continued rowing at the highest level, winning a bronze in the men's quad scull at the2010 World Rowing Championships[1] At the2011 World Rowing Championships in an upset, the Australian heavyweight quad of McRae,Daniel Noonan,Karsten Forsterling andChris Morgan defeated the German crew to win gold. Following a costly mistake in the German boat the Australian crew took the lead in the last few metres of the race and won by 0.25secs.[17]
At the2012 London Olympics, McRae won bronze in the men's quad in a time of 5:45.22.[18]
At the2014 World Rowing Championships inAmsterdam he won bronze in the men's pair racing withAlexander Belonogoff. In 2016 along withKarsten Forsterling,Cameron Girdlestone andBelonogoff, McRae won the silver medal in the Australian quad to at theRio Olympics 2016.
