David Crawshay

David Crawshay

Personal information
Born	(1979-08-11)11 August 1979 Melbourne,Victoria
Years active	1994–2016
Sport
Country	Australia
Sport	Rowing
Club	Mercantile Rowing Club
Medal record Men'srowing RepresentingAustralia Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Double sculls World Championships 2009 Poznań Quad scull 2015 Aiguebelette Quad scull 2010 Karapiro Quad scull U23 World Championships 2000 Copenhagen Quad scull 2001 Linz Quad scull

David William CrawshayOAM(born 11 August 1979) is an Australian formerrower,an eleven-time national champion, anOlympicchampion and medalist at World Championships. He represented Australia in rowing at three consecutive Olympic games fromAthens 2004toLondon 2012.

Club and state rowing

Born inCarlton, Victoria,Crawshay attendedMelbourne Grammar School.His senior rowing has been with theMercantile Rowing Clubbased on theYarra RiverinMelbourne.

Crawshay's first state selection as Victoria's single sculls representative to contest the President's Cup at the Interstate Regatta within theAustralian Rowing Championshipscame in 2002. He then contested the President's Cup in 2003 and 2004. From 2007 he won each President's Cup he contested – 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.In 2013, 2014 and 2015 he rowed in the Victorian men's senior eight competing for theKing's Cupat the Interstate Regatta. The 2015 crew were victorious.Crawshay was initially selected to represent Victoria in the President's Cup single scull at the 2016 Interstate Regatta, but following the announcement of his retirement from international competition he was replaced byKarsten Forsterling.

In Mercantile colours he contested the Australian open men's single sculls title at theAustralian Rowing Championshipson a number of occasions. He won that title in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012 and he placed second in 2006 and 2010.Paired with Scott Brennan he won the open men's double scull championship in 2011.

International representative rowing

World Championships

Crawshay made his Australian representative debut in 2000 at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne in a quad scull. That same year he competed at theWorld Rowing U23 Championshipsin an Australian quad which won silver. He raced again in 2001 at the U2 World Championships in a quad scull and won bronze.That same year Crawshay also competed in Australia's senior quad scull at the2001 World Rowing Championshipsin Lucerne for a tenth-place finish.

In 2003 Crawshay was back in Australian representative crews rowing withPeter Hardcastlein the double scull at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne for a second placing and then at the2003 World Rowing Championshipsin Milan to a sixth-place finish in the final.Following the2004 OlympicsCrawshay was in 2005 selected as Australia's single sculls representative at the2005 World Rowing Championshipsin Gifu, Japan where he placed ninth overall.He regained his seat in the Australian quad scull in 2006 racing at two World Rowing Cups in Europe that year before contesting the2006 World Rowing Championshipsat Eton Dorney where the quad placed ninth.

In 2007 Crawshay teamed with TasmanianScott Brennanin the Australian senior double scull and they commenced their 2008 Olympics campaign. They raced at two World Rowing Cups in Europe in 2007 and then the2007 World Rowing Championshipsin Munich where they placed eight.They won bronze in 2008 at WRC I in Munich and WRC II in Lucerne before their successful run for gold atBeijing 2008.

At the2009 World Rowing ChampionshipsinPoznańrowing withNick Hudson,Jared BidwellandDaniel Noonanin the Australianquad scullhe won a silver medal.He held his seat in the Australian quad for the2010 World Rowing ChampionshipsinKarapiroand rowing with Noonan andKarsten Forsterling,James McRae,the crew finished third and took the bronze medal.

In 2011 he again rowed with Scott Brennan in a double scull as they prepared for the Olympic year, they raced at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne to a seventh place and at the2011 World Rowing Championshipsin Bled to a fourth placing.After LondonLondon 2012Crawshay switched to sweep oared boats at the domestic level and was regained international selection in 2014 when he secured a seat in the Australian senior eight. He raced in the eight and a coxless four at the WRC I in Sydney; in the eight at WRC III in Lucerne and then he was in the two seat of the eight for the2014 World Rowing Championshipsin Amsterdam where they missed a place in the A final and finished in overall seventh place.

In 2015, his final year of international representation Crawshay switched back to sculls and gained the bow seat in the Australian quad scull. WithCameron Girdlestone,Karsten Forsterlingand David Watts at the2015 World Rowing ChampionshipsonLac d'AiguebeletteinAiguebeletteFrance they finished in second place winning a world championship silver medal.In March 2016, Crawshay announced his retirement from international rowing.

Olympics

Crawshay's first Australian Olympic selection was for the2004 Athenswhen he was selected in the Australian quad scull withScott Brennan,Duncan Freeand Shaun Coulton. They arrived at the Olympic Games as favourites, having won the World Cup in Lucerne. They qualified in the heat for the semi-final despite a crab early in the race. In the semi-final they started well enough but could not maintain the same boat speed as their competitors in the second five hundred. In the end they were in fourth place at every 500m mark and missed the final. In the B final they had to defeat the Sydney gold medallists Italy and the fancied Swiss and Estonians. They broke free of Italy with 650m to go and then held off the fast finishing Swiss and Estonian crews. They had sufficient reserves to hold off the final challenges to win the B final ending the regatta in seventh place.

With unfinished business from Athens, Crawshay teamed up again with Scott Brennan in themen's double scullsfor the2008 Summer Olympicsin Beijing, China.They rowed perfect races in the heat, semi final and final to finish with a gold medal and an Olympic championship.

Brennan and Crawshay teamed up again for2012 London.They finished second in the B final for an overall eighth place in the 2012 Olympic rankings.

External links

• David CrawshayatOlympics.com
• David CrawshayatOlympics at Sports-Reference.com(archived)
• Athlete profile at Yahoo