Tom James

Despite being born in Cardiff, Tom James calls Wrexham his home as he was brought up in Coedpoeth, near the North Wales town. His talent as a rower was spotted when he was a pupil at the King’s School in Chester and he was drafted in the British junior rowing programme where he was to win medals at successive World Junior Championships. By now a student at Cambridge University, James made his senior international début in 2003 and by the end of the year had won his first World Championships medal, a bronze, as part of the national eight. Despite having seven of the crew continue in the boat for the Athens Olympics they had a disappointing time in Greece and failed to reach the final. He took a year to concentrate on his studies but returned to the sport in 2006 and reached his second world final in the coxless pairs. James returned to the eight as a last minute replacement for an ill team-mate during the 2007 World Championships and helped his crew finish third in the final. His big break came at the beginning of the Olympic year of 2008 when he was chosen to be a member of the number one British boat – the coxless four. After injury and illness had stalled the crew’s progress in the early part of the season they had a spectacular return to form in Beijing and rowed through the Australians to win the Olympic title. He then took an extended break from the sport and only returned to rowing at the start of 2011. By the end of the year he had won his first World Championship gold after returning to the coxless four. He won a second successive Olympic gold medal in 2012 and became the first Welshman since Richard Meade in 1968 and 1972 to win consecutive golds. Following his second Olympic gold medal, Tom was granted the Freedom of Wrexham as he became only the 30th recipient of the honour since it was first made in 1906 and the first individual since 1978 to receive it.

James also rowed in four Oxford-Cambridge boat races 2003-07 and, in winning his Olympic title, was the first Welsh Olympic champion in rowing for 76 years. Tom retired in November 2013 to concentrate on his business consultancy career but maintained his connections with the sport as he worked with both the Cambridge University and Molesey Boat Clubs.