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Mike McKay (rower)

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Olympic medal record
Men's Rowing
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Coxless Four
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Coxless Four
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Eight
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens Eight

Michael Scott McKay, OAM[1] (born 30 September 1964), commonly known as Mike McKay, is an Australian rower and a four-time Olympic medalist. He was educated at Xavier College in Kew, Melbourne.

Biography

In 1990, McKay, with Nick Green, Sam Patten, James Tomkins began racing the coxless four. Their success was immediate. They won the 1990 and 1991 World Rowing Championships. And with Andrew Cooper replacing Sam Patten, they followed up with a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The crew's success gained them the nickname Oarsome Foursome.

The boat repeated its Gold medal performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics, this time with Drew Ginn replacing Andrew Cooper.

In 1998, McKay, with the other members of the Oarsome Foursome, teamed to win the coxless four, and McKay with Drew Ginn placed second in the coxless pair. In 1999, the boat would go on to try out, but lose the 1999 Australian selection trials in the four without. Nick Green retired, Tomkins and Ginn decided to switch to the coxless pairs, and McKay tried out for the Australian eight which ended up finishing seventh at the World Championships.

McKay made the eight for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and the boat came in as one of the favorites. They won their opening heat, but in the finals, the British crew got out to an early lead, which they managed to hold until the end nipping the Australian eight, which finished second, by 0.8 seconds.

McKay was again in the Australian eight for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The boat finished third behind the United States and the Netherlands.

In 1993, McKay and the other members of his 1992 Olympic boat were awarded the Order of Australia.

In May 2011 it was announced that Mckay is to be the CEO of the new GreenEdge Cycling Team which will begin competing in 2012.[2]

In 2007 he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.[3]

Achievements

Thomas Keller Medal: For an outstanding career in rowing. Presented at the III Cup Event in Lucerne

Olympic Games

  • 2004 - Bronze, Eight
  • 2000 - Silver, Eight
  • 1996 - Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Drew Ginn, James Tomkins)
  • 1992 - Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Andrew Cooper, James Tomkins)
  • 1988 - 5th, Eight

World Championships

  • 1999 - Seventh, Eight
  • 1998 - Gold, Coxed Four (with Nick Green, James Tomkins, Drew Ginn and Brett Hayman (cox))
  • 1998 - Silver, Pair w/out (with Drew Ginn)
  • 1995 - 5th, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Drew Ginn, James Tomkins)
  • 1991 - Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Sam Patten, James Tomkins)
  • 1990 - Gold, Coxless Four (with Nick Green, Sam Patten, James Tomkins)

External links

References

  1. ^ "McKay, Michael Scott". It's an Honour. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  2. ^ Mike Mckay appointed CEO of GreenEdge
  3. ^ Hall of Fame