Rob Waddell

From Free net encyclopedia

Template:MedalTop Template:MedalSport Template:MedalGold Template:MedalBottom Robert ("Rob") Norman Waddell, nicknamed V-12, (born January 7, 1975 in Te Kuiti) is a New Zealand rower, yachtsman and rugby player. In 1998, he married fellow rower Sonia Scown.

Waddell won the single scull at the rowing World Championships in 1998 and 1999, and the gold medal in the Single Sculls at the 2000 Summer Olympics. During his World Championship period, Waddell had several closely contested races with Xeno Müller, the 1996 Summer Olympics champion. In the years leading up to the Olympics, Müller beat Waddell in 3 out of the 7 races they faced each other. At the Olympics, Waddell and Müller dramatically traded the lead over the last half of the course before Waddell finally pulled away to win the gold medal.

Waddell has one of the highest VO2 max intake levels of any athlete ever tested. He holds the second fastest 2km indoor rowing ergo time in the world.

Waddell started rowing at King's College, Auckland. He later joined Team New Zealand as a grinder for the America's Cup 2003.