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| Full name | Peter K. Reed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1981-07-27)27 July 1981 (age 44) Seattle,Washington, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Rowing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Oxford University Boat Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Leander Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Jürgen Gröbler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Peter K. Reed[1] (born 27 July 1981) is a retired[2] British Olympicrower. Reed is a three-times Olympic gold medallist – earning gold in the Men's coxless four at the2008 and2012 Olympics, and then a gold medal in the Men's eight at the2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He has also won five gold medals and three silver medals at the World Championships.
Reed was born inSeattle,Washington, US but his family moved to England several months later. He was brought up inNailsworth,Gloucestershire and attendedCirencester Deer Park School, and laterCirencester College for his A-levels.
Reed joined theRoyal Navy in 1999 and began rowing relatively late. In 2001, whilst training as an officer on boardHMS Exeter, he used anergometer for the first time – and promptly posted the fastest time in the Royal Navy's annual fleet-wide fitness competition.[3] He received a medical discharge in 2022 and left with the rank oflieutenant commander.[1][4]
Reed took up rowing in his second year of university in 2002, whilst studying mechanical engineering at theUniversity of the West of England, to become a naval engineer.[5] The following year, in 2003, coached by Fred Smallbone, he became a successful Boat Club President.
In 2004, Reed won a place at theUniversity of Oxford to attend a two-yearMSc course in engineering, based atOriel College.[6] During this time, he trained at theOxford University Boat Club (OUBC) under coach Sean Bowden, where he earned the nickname "The Commander". He was selected in both years for theBlue Boat to race againstCambridge in the annualBoat Race. Defeat in 2004 was followed by victory in2005. The race gained much publicity as Oxford narrowly won by 2 lengths in a time of 16 minutes 42 seconds with its "heaviest-ever Boat Race crew", a record which was later broken in 2009.[7][8]
In 2005, Reed and his Oxford strokeman,Andrew Triggs Hodge, won GB senior pairs trials (together they won every year from 2005 to 2012), and following the retirement ofMatthew Pinsent andJames Cracknell were selected by coachJürgen Gröbler to row alongsideAlex Partridge andSteve Williams MBE, in the new Great Britain Coxless Four.[9]
Unbeaten for 27 consecutive races until Lucerne 2007, the British Four won gold at all three World Cups in 2005 and 2006, and finished both seasons by becoming World Champions.
Reed continued his training to represent Great Britain at the2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. After a difficult early season, in which his teammatesTom James, whom he had rowed against in the 2005 Boat Race, and Andrew Triggs Hodge picked up injuries, the first-choice four raced together for the first time in Poznań in the final World Cup event of the season, finishing second. The GB four then dominated their heats and semi finals at the Beijing Olympics. In the final, however, the Australian four lead for most of the way. Only a dramatic push by the British boat in the closing stages made the difference; they won the nail biting final to become gold medallists in a time of 6 minutes 6.57 seconds, beating the Australian four by 1.28 seconds.
He stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and was reported in 2006 as having the largest recordedlung capacity (11.68 litres).[10] Originally due to return to full-time naval duties after returning from Beijing he confirmed on 6 November 2008 that he had been given permission to continue training for the2012 Summer Olympics in London.[11] At the 2012 Summer Games, Reed, along with Triggs-Hodge, James andAlex Gregory, helped Great Britain retain the gold medal in themen's coxless four.[12]
He competed at the2013 World Rowing Championships inChungju, where he won a gold medal as part of the eight.[13]He then competed at the2014 World Rowing Championships inBosbaan,Amsterdam, where he won a gold medal as part of the eight[14] and the following year he was part of the British team that topped the medal table at the2015 World Rowing Championships atLac d'Aiguebelette in France, where he won a gold medal as part of the eight withMatt Gotrel,Constantine Louloudis,Paul Bennett,Moe Sbihi,Alex Gregory,George Nash,Will Satch andPhelan Hill.[15]
In April 2018, Reed announced his retirement from professional rowing.[2]
In August 2014, Reed was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter toThe Guardian opposingScottish independence in the run-up to September'sreferendum on that issue.[16]
In October 2019, Reed announced viaInstagram that he had suffered a spinal stroke, which has left him paralysed from the chest down.[17]
Reed and his wife have a son (born in 2023).[18]
Reed was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours[19] andOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to rowing.[20][21]
