Colin Smith

Eight-Time National Champion and WLRA Founder

A lifelong rower, eight-time national champion, and Gold, Silver and Bronze medallist at the World Rowing Championships in lightweight. Colin has been a presence in lightweight rowing for over four decades. He has been involved in all things lightweight rowing including coaching from school level through to adult and was a long-term board member and President for RA.

Colin also is a recognised global expert on sports media rights and events and in these roles has undertaken detailed analytics of the critical importance of lightweight rowing to the sport.

‘Lightweight rowing has been an important part of my life for the last forty-five years. That has been as an athlete, coach, administrator, and strategist. Lightweight rowing for both men and women is exhilarating to watch, whether it be attending a world-class event or watching on TV. As I was reminded recently, the Lightweight men’s finals at the Olympic Games was electrifying competition. 

I will never forget the 2012 Olympic Games Men’s Lightweight Four Final where five crews were fighting for the gold medal with just 200 metres to go. Ultimately it was won by South Africa on the last stroke. which was South Africa’s first gold medal in rowing at the Olympic Games. Similarly, the lightweight doubles at the Olympic Games for both men and women were so special culminating in Ireland’s first-ever gold medal in rowing in the 2020 Olympic Games. 

I started rowing when I was thirteen years of age initially as Cox, then as an oarsman in school Head of the River Crews. In my first year of school rowing, I became 'hooked', attending my first Head of the River Schools competition in South Australia where my school won its first-ever Head of the River - watched by thousands.

My love of rowing was centred around the crew, love of being on the water with mates and a school club that was highly successful but not elitist — rowing for me was a true family and further, I embraced the physicality of the sport and had excellent coaches and two outstanding physical trainers. One at school and then at MUBC where we were trained by the world-renowned Stan Nicholes; both focussed and cared about the individual and their development.

I rowed at school for four years and then as a lightweight rower for eleven years. Firstly, as a club rower; Torrens RC, MUBC then representing my state; firstly South Australia, then Victoria. As a successful rower I have won Australian Gold Medals in; five Interstate Championships (Penrith Cup), four National Championships and 22 State Championships. 

I was selected to row for Australia as a Lightweight Rower on the European Circuit as a lead into the World Rowing Championships with my achievements being Lucerne 1974 Gold Medal LwM4-Bow, Nottingham 1975 Bronze Medal LwM4-Bow, Amsterdam 1977 Silver Medal LwM4-Silver Bow, Copenhagen 1978 Bronze Medal LwM8+ Stroke. I have also successfully coached rowing crews at school, club, university and state crews across men and women, lightweight and heavyweight. I have also been an Australian Women’s Selector of Australian crews.  

In 1999 I joined the Board of Rowing Australia and was a member of the Board for fourteen years. During that period, I was Chairman of the High Performance Committee of RA for nine years. I was also President of Rowing Australia for five years. During my Directorship of RA, I was actively involved with FISA/World Rowing attending annual FISA meetings but also being a member of their Media and Strategy Commission for a number of years. I also led for a global strategy firm their review of the validity/importance of lightweight rowing at the Olympic Games in 2002 for FISA. Further, in 2016 my firm undertook a further pro bono assignment for the FISA Congress in Tokyo reinforcing the critical importance of lightweight rowing at the international level.

Rowing continues to be my sport and I cherish all the wonderful memories, the sport’s intensity of the only truly team sport. I am committed for the sport to continue to thrive. However, the recent decisions by FISA are worrying and perplexing that includes disenfranchising lightweight rowing, attempting to introduce beach sprints to the Olympic Games and shortening the course by 25% for the 2028 LA Olympic Games.’