 Ford at the 2020 Summer Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Ford |
| Born | (1992-10-03)3 October 1992 (age 33) Holmes Chapel,Cheshire, England |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Relative | Emily Ford (sister) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Sport | Rowing |
Event(s) | Coxless four, Eight |
| Club | Leander Club |
Medal record | |
Thomas Ford (born 3 October 1992) is a British national representativerower.[1] He is an Olympic and two-time world champion in the men'seight event.[2]
Ford was rowing for theNewcastle University Boat Club when he first represented for GB at the U23 level. Following graduation he joined theLeander Club.[1] At the 2016Henley Royal Regatta in a Leander crew he rowed to victory in theLadies' Challenge Plate for men's intermediate eights.[1]
In 2022, he won theGrand Challenge Cup (the blue riband event at theHenley Royal Regatta) stroking a composite Leander/Oxford Brookes crew. In 2023 again inLeander Club colours he stroked a Leander/Oxford Brookes eight to another Grand Challenge Cup victory.[3]
Ford made his representative debut for Great Britain in the men's U23 eight which raced at the 2013U23 World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim.[4] That crew finished overall sixth. In 2014 he again made selection in the GB eight for the U23 World Championships.[4]
In 2017 Ford moved into the Great Britain men's senior squad and raced in the eight at World Rowing Cups I & III and at that year's European Championships. At the2017 World Rowing Championships he raced a coxed pair with Timothy Clarke and steered byHarry Brightmore to an overall fourth placing.[4]
WithJacob Dawson,Adam Neill andJames Johnston, Ford held a seat in the Great Britain coxless four in the 2018 international season and won a bronze medal at the2018 World Rowing Championships inPlovdiv, Bulgaria,[5]Ford won a silver medal in the Britisheight at the2019 European Rowing Championships[6] and then won bronze at the2019 World Rowing Championships inOttensheim,Austria in the eight withThomas George,James Rudkin,Josh Bugajski,Moe Sbihi, Jacob Dawson,Oliver Wynne-Griffith,Matthew Tarrant andHenry Fieldman.[7]
In 2021, he won a European gold medal in the eight inVarese, Italy.[8][9] At that year's delayed2020 Tokyo Olympics Ford stroked 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 German crew.[4]
Ford became a world champion stroking the British eight to victory at the2022 World Rowing Championships. He had earlier that season won gold at the2022 European Rowing Championships.[10] In 2023 he won a second successive World Championship gold medal again as the strokeman 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]
In July 2025, Ford will be awarded an honorary degree fromKeele University.[13]
FromHolmes Chapel inCheshire, his sisterEmily is also a British international rower and fellow Olympic medallist.[2][14][15]
