Louis Attrill
Encyclopedia
Louis Attrill is a British
rower and Olympics
gold medallist.
Attrill took up rowing at Shanklin Rowing Club on the Isle of Wight and won novice at Milford regatta. The following year he furthered his interest in the sport at Imperial College Boat Club
in 1993. Previously he had played rugby
and cricket
for Hampshire Colts and was British junior kick-boxing champion in 1991. In his first year of rowing, he won at Henley Royal Regatta
in the Imperial College London
Temple Challenge Cup
eight. The following year he won his second Henley medal and made his international debut at under-23 level, he was also asked to travel to the 1995 senior World Championships in the reserve pair. In 1996, Attrill rowed for Imperial and won the premier event for eights at Henley Royal Regatta
— the Grand Challenge Cup
. He then went on to be selected for the British under-23 coxless four which won a gold medal at the Nations Cup.
Louis Attrill was selected for the 1997 senior eight. This was a young crew, largely composed of ex-junior and under-23 internationals. They raced with freshness and flair throughout the World Cup series and finished in fourth place at the World Championships. He was in the eight again for the 1998 World Championships and they were unlucky to miss out on a place in the final. Hugely disappointed with their seventh place the eight left no stone unturned in their quest for a medal in 1999 and were justly rewarded.
Attrill won a silver medal in the eight at the 1999 World Championships in Canada
. In a close race the British and Americans battled it out, pulling away from the rest of the field. The Brits took the lead in the third 500metres only for the USA crew to snatch it back before the finish. It was Attril's third year in the eight and the result was a reflection of the meticulous attention to detail that the crew had put into their preparations. In 2000 they had a very successful season on the international circuit and took the World Cup title at Lucerne
, Switzerland
. He then went on to win an Olympic
Gold Medal in the 2000 Sydney Games
.
Attrill lives on the Isle of Wight.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rower and Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medallist.
Attrill took up rowing at Shanklin Rowing Club on the Isle of Wight and won novice at Milford regatta. The following year he furthered his interest in the sport at Imperial College Boat Club
Imperial College Boat Club
Imperial College Boat Club is the rowing club for Imperial College and has its boat house on the River Thames in Putney, London, United Kingdom. It was housed from 1919 in Thames Rowing Club but has had its own boathouse since 1938. The club has been highly successful, with many wins at Henley...
in 1993. Previously he had played rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Hampshire Colts and was British junior kick-boxing champion in 1991. In his first year of rowing, he won at Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
in the Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
Temple Challenge Cup
Temple Challenge Cup
The Temple Challenge Cup is one of the eights races at Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames on the River Thames in England. It is open to male crews from universities, colleges or schools. Combined entries from two colleges of the same university, or from different schools, are allowed...
eight. The following year he won his second Henley medal and made his international debut at under-23 level, he was also asked to travel to the 1995 senior World Championships in the reserve pair. In 1996, Attrill rowed for Imperial and won the premier event for eights at Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
— the Grand Challenge Cup
Grand Challenge Cup
The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...
. He then went on to be selected for the British under-23 coxless four which won a gold medal at the Nations Cup.
Louis Attrill was selected for the 1997 senior eight. This was a young crew, largely composed of ex-junior and under-23 internationals. They raced with freshness and flair throughout the World Cup series and finished in fourth place at the World Championships. He was in the eight again for the 1998 World Championships and they were unlucky to miss out on a place in the final. Hugely disappointed with their seventh place the eight left no stone unturned in their quest for a medal in 1999 and were justly rewarded.
Attrill won a silver medal in the eight at the 1999 World Championships in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In a close race the British and Americans battled it out, pulling away from the rest of the field. The Brits took the lead in the third 500metres only for the USA crew to snatch it back before the finish. It was Attril's third year in the eight and the result was a reflection of the meticulous attention to detail that the crew had put into their preparations. In 2000 they had a very successful season on the international circuit and took the World Cup title at Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He then went on to win an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Gold Medal in the 2000 Sydney Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Attrill lives on the Isle of Wight.