| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | James Alexander Rudkin |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | (1994-07-07)7 July 1994 (age 31) Northampton, England |
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Sport | Rowing |
Event | Eight |
| Club | Newcastle University Boat Club |
James Alexander Rudkin (born 7 July 1994) is a British national representativerower.[1] He is an Olympic and two-time world champion.
Rudkin was raised in Northampton. He was introduced to rowing by his father and joined the Hollowell Scullers club.[1] He attendedStowe School on a sports scholarship[2] and then Newcastle University.[1]
His senior club rowing was from theNewcastle University Boat Club where he was men's captain in 2015.[1]
In 2022, he won theGrand Challenge Cup (the blue riband event at theHenley Royal Regatta) in the seven seat of a composite Leander/Oxford Brookes crew. In 2023 again inLeander Club colours, he was at seven in the Leander/Oxford Brookes eight for another Grand Challenge Cup victory.[3]
Rudkin progressed through the underage levels representing for Great Britain. He competed in junior match racing against France in 2010 & 2011[1] and then at the 2012Junior World Rowing Championships he was selected in the GB quad scull which finished in overall twelfth place.[4] He then raced in sweep oared crews atU23 World Rowing Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2016 winning a silver medal in the men's four at that 2016 regatta.[4]
Rudkin moved into the senior Great Britain squad in 2017 and held a seat in the GB men's eight consistently from 2017 to 2023. That crew finished in seventh place at the2017 World Rowing Championships[4] and achieved constant improvement thereafter. Rudkin won a bronze medal at the2018 World Rowing Championships inPlovdiv, Bulgaria, in the eight withAlan Sinclair,Tom Ransley,Thomas George,Moe Sbihi,Oliver Wynne-Griffith,Matthew Tarrant,Will Satch andHenry Fieldman.[5] He won another bronze medal the following year at the2019 World Rowing Championships inOttensheim,Austria in the eight with George,Josh Bugajski, Sbihi,Jacob Dawson, Wynne-Griffith, Tarrant,Thomas Ford and Fieldman.[6] That crew had won silver at the2019 European Rowing Championships.[7]
In 2021, he won a European gold medal in the eight inVarese, Italy.[8][9] At that year's delayed2020 Tokyo Olympics he was again in the seven seat of the Great Britain men's eight. They finished 3rd their heat but proceeded through a repechage to make the Olympic final. In the final they rowed level with the ultimate winner New Zealand at each mark but finished with a bronze medal being pipped for silver in the last 500m by the fast finishing Deutschland-Achter.[4]
Rudkin became a world champion in the seven seat of the British eight at the2022 World Rowing Championships. He had earlier won gold that season at the2022 European Rowing Championships.[10] In 2023 Rudkin won a second successive World Championship gold medal in themen's eight at the2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.[11]
He won a gold medal as part of the Great Britain eight at the2024 Summer Olympics.[12]
