Thomas Keller Medal finalist: James Tomkins

James Bruce Tomkins has been around a while. His international career began in 1985 when he jumped straight into Australia’s top eight as a 19-year-old. By the age of 20 Tomkins was already a World Champion. The momentum didn’t stop there. In 1988 Tomkins lined up at his first Olympic Games, Seoul. This would be the first of six Olympic Game appearances. Still in the eight, Tomkins’ crew finished fifth.

James Tomkins is the fourth of five finalists to be announced for this year’s Thomas Keller Medal.

After Seoul Tomkins took a break before returning to the international scene in a four. Right from the beginning the four was fast. They claimed back-to-back World Champion titles then won the 1992 Olympic Games. Tomkins had earned his first Olympic gold medal.

A master of working the four-year Olympic cycle, Tomkins was back in the four a year before the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Leading into Atlanta there was just one crew change from the 1992 gold medal crew, young Drew Ginn had come into the boat. The four of Tomkins, Ginn, Mike McKay and Nick Green won. Australia took notice. The term ‘Oarsome Foursome’ was coined and the popularity of rowing in Australia boomed.

Tomkins’ Oarsome days turned out to be just one phase of his rowing career. After a post-Atlanta break, Tomkins came back in the pair with Nick Green and then in 1999 with Ginn. They were fast. They were World Champions and favourites leading up to the 2000 Olympic Games. But just two months before the Olympics, Ginn was out due to injury. Substituting in reserve Matthew Long to row with Tomkins, the duo pulled off a remarkable bronze.

In 2003 Tomkins back in the pair with a recovered Ginn managed to beat the reigning World Champions, Great Britain’s mighty Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell. It was a big enough win and a big enough blow that Pinsent and Cracknell left the pair and returned the following year as part of their country’s four. Tomkins and Ginn went on to win Olympic gold in 2004.

"It was not about what he said or did, it was intangible, invisible, but I could feel this amazing force or influence he had. He could perform under pressure and do it in a way that appeared magical. It was extraordinary,” says Ginn.

In 2008 Tomkins, 42, prepared for his sixth Olympic Games as a member of the men’s eight. He was rowing with crew mates who hadn’t yet started rowing when Tomkins was racing with his 1996 crew.

The career of James Tomkins spans more than 20 years and in that time he has managed to take a World Champion title in every sweep event –the men’s eight, pair, four, coxed four and coxed pair. He also has three Olympic gold medals and an Olympic bronze.

The father of three girls (Holly, Georgia and Jessica), the son of Bruce and Jill and the husband of Bridget, Tomkins managed to juggle family life with the intensity of top rowing. Throughout his rowing career Tomkins continued to work. He is currently a senior account manager for BT Financial Group.

Tomkins is a finalist for rowing’s most prestigious award, the Thomas Keller Medal. Nominated through public submissions, Tomkins has the characteristics that qualify him for the award.

The Medal winner will be decided by the Thomas Keller Medal committee and will be announced in June. The medal will be presented to the recipient during the final stage of the Rowing World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland, from 9 to 11 July 2010.

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