Ginn and Tomkins honoured

Ginn & Tomkins racing at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens

Athens Olympic Gold medallists James Tomkins and Drew Ginn have been awarded the Rowing Australia Male Crew of the Year at the 2004 Rower of the Year Awards held over the weekend at the Sydney Olympic course in Penrith.

The award caps off a fantastic year for the pair which includes a gold medal win at Athens and Tomkins being selected as a finalist for the prestigious Thomas Keller Medal, the International Rowing Federation's award for an outstanding career in rowing.

This is the second consecutive year the pair has been voted as the Male Crew of the Year and this year they won the award over the Australian lightweight coxless four and the Australian men's eight, both of whom medalled at Athens.

Sally Kehoe racing at the 2004 World Rowing Junior Championships in Banyoles, Spain

Newcomer 19-year-old Sally Kehoe continued to receive accolades for her breakout season being awarded the Female Crew of the Year. Kehoe's season included a gold medal performance at the World Rowing Junior Championships and a silver medal performance at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships, both in the single scull. Kehoe's 2004 season also included a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport and a national championship title in the single at the 2005 DHL Australian Rowing Championships. 

Kehoe won the award over current training partner Amber Bradley who stroked the women's quad that won bronze at Athens and the junior women's pair of Annika Naughton and Natalie Bale, who won gold at last year's World Rowing Junior Championships.

In other awards, Chris O'Brien, coach of the men's pair of Ginn and Tomkins, was awarded Coach of the Year. O'Brien won over Sam Le Compte, coach of the men's lightweight four and Lyall McCarthy, coach of the women's quad.

Ginn picked up a second honour for 2004 when he was awarded the Rower's Rower of the Year. This award is nominated and voted on by the athletes themselves and Ginn won the award over Katie Foulkes and Monique Heinke both of whom raced in the women's eight at Athens.

The night included a presentation of the oars used at the Athens Olympics by Ginn and Tomkins and the presentation of Olympic pins to all Olympic medal winning crews.

Contribution thanks to Rowing Australia

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