Thomas Keller Medal nominees for 2005 announced

FISA, The International Rowing Federation, announced that seven rowers have been selected as finalists for the 2005 Thomas Keller Medal for an "outstanding career in rowing." The Thomas Keller Medal has been established as the highest honour in the sport of rowing and is presented to recognise an outstanding rowing career as well as exemplary sportsmanship. Named after the late President of FISA, the 2004 medal went to Nico Rienks of the Netherlands. 

2005 Nominees
Agostino Abbagnale (Italy)
Victor Feddersen (Denmark)
Matthew Pinsent (Great Britain)
Andrea Re (Italy)
Jean-Christophe Rolland (France)
James Tomkins (Australia)
André Willms (Germany)

The members of the FISA Council and Commissions will vote to determine the finalists for this award at the 2005 FISA Joint Commissions Meeting in Paris this weekend. The finalists will then go forward to the Thomas Keller Medal Committee for the final decision. This committee includes Dominik Keller, the son of the late president of FISA Thomas Keller.

The Committee will assess the candidates on the following five criteria:

* International Success – Success on the international level;
* Resilience/Determination ?Type? of career ? e.g., overcoming obstacles, shortcomings;
* Mastery – Technical mastery of the sport, e.g., success in different boat types as well as sculling and sweep rowing;
* Sportsmanship – Respect for others, attitude, character;
* Inspirational/Legendary – How perceived by the rowing world and the world outside rowing.

The winner will be awarded the 18-carat gold Thomas Keller Medal at the BearingPoint Rowing World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland on 10th July 2005.

To follow is a brief description of the rowing careers of the nominees.

Agostino Abbagnale
The name Abbagnale is synonymous with Italian rowing and Agostino follows in the footsteps of brothers Carmine and Guiseppe who jointly won the Thomas Keller Medal in 1997.

Younger Agostino, who retired from rowing last year, has also demonstrated the family talent. His three Olympic gold medals are only the start of the list of his achievements. There are also two gold and two silver World Championship medals to his credit. But perhaps Abbagnale's greatest achievement was overcoming thrombophlebitis in his left leg that took him out of the sport for five years. Returning in 1995 Abbagnale went on to win Olympic gold the following year.

"Even though he is the greatest Italian rower of all times, he has always striven to highlight the worth of his rowing partners," says nominator Michele de Lauretis.

Denmark's Victor Feddersen
© Peter Spurrier

Victor Feddersen
If Victor Feddersen wins the Thomas Keller Medal he will be the first Danish rower to win this prestigious award. Feddersen was stroke seat for the Guldfireren, the lightweight golden four that went of a streak of winning beginning at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and continuing through to the 1999 World Rowing Championships when they set a World Best Time that still stands to this day.

Feddersen then went on to win bronze at his second Olympic Games in Sydney choosing to retire after 2000. He remains involved in rowing and last year was a candidate for the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission.

Matthew Pinsent
© John Gichigi/Allsport

Matthew Pinsent
Although Great Britain's Matthew Pinsent retired late last year he has remained constantly in the British press, first for receiving a knighthood by the Queen of Great Britain, then through his involvement with London's 2012 Olympic bid and also his association with corporate rowing.

Pinsent started his international career with gold as a junior in 1988 and finished it four Olympic golds later at the 2004 Athens Olympics. From 1991 to 2002 Pinsent never lost a race at the World Rowing Championships or Olympic Games picking up nine World Rowing Championship titles.

Pinsent is one of only five people (in any sport) to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals and he has been acknowledged by his peers by being elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee's Athlete's Commission.

?Sir Matthew is a giant of a man: he has been an outstanding athlete and ambassador for our sport," says nominator Chris Baillieu.

Andrea Re
Italy's Andrea Re had an international career spanning 17 years with a winning run in his country's lightweight eight lasting from 1985 – 1991. He continued to gather World Rowing Championship medals up to his retirement in 1997. Since then he has stayed very much involved in the sport as a member of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and more recently as a rowing commentator for Eurosport.

Re has been awarded the CONI ?Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Atletico? four times and in 1995 he was awarded the CONI Collare d'Oro dello Sport followed by the CONI "Olympic diploma" in 2001.

Jean-Christophe Rolland
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Jean-Christophe Rolland
Three Olympic Games for Jean-Christophe Rolland of France progressed from a fourth place finish in Barcelona through to bronze in Atlanta and on to gold in Sydney. Then Rolland retired from a rowing career that saw him pick up 17 French national championship titles and two World Rowing Championship golds.

Rolland in currently the chairman of FISA's Athlete's Commission and captain of the EDF athletes group. He has been awarded the ?Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur," Knight of the Legion of Honour, ?Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite,? Knight of the National Order of Merit and the gold medal from the French Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Highly respected amongst the rowing community as being a true sportsman Rolland leads a successful business career and is the proud father of two sons, Victor and Ulysse.

Tomkins of Australia Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
© Getty Images

James Tomkins
The Australian from Melbourne, James Tomkins is well-known as a member of the Oarsome Foursome but his success has gone further having won gold medals in every sweep class of boat.

Tomkins international career began with gold in the eight at the 1986 World Rowing Championships and now includes three Olympic gold medals and one bronze as well as seven World Rowing Championship titles.

"He has been inspirational in combining rowing and a full life, and in his ability to come back after a break of a year or two to pursue work, study, family life. He is also legendary in his technical mastery," says nominator John Boultbee.

Andre Willms
©

André Willms
Germany's André Willms hit the international rowing scene as a junior from East Germany and went straight to the top winning gold in the single. He continued his winning ways for the next 14 years, never taking a break from the sport. Willms retired after his fourth Olympics in 2004 with two golds and a bronze as well as five World Rowing Championship titles.

"Willms always kept the whole team in mind," says nominator Axel Mueller who noted Willms' interaction with the rest of the team. "He is member of the Athletes' Commission of the German Rowing Federation."