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Kerri Williams

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Kerri Williams
MNZM
Williams in 2022
Personal information
Birth nameKerri Leigh Gowler
Born(1993-12-18)18 December 1993(age 30)
Raetihi,New Zealand
EducationNga Tawa Diocesan School[1]
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight76 kg (168 lb)[2]
RelativeJackie Gowler(sister)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportRowing
Event(s)Coxless pair, Coxless four, Eight
ClubAramaho Wanganui
Medal record
Women'srowing
RepresentingNew Zealand
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Coxless pair
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Eight
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Amsterdam Coxless four
Gold medal – first place 2017 Sarasota Coxless pair
Gold medal – first place 2019 Ottensheim Coxless pair
Gold medal – first place 2019 Ottensheim Eight
Gold medal – first place 2022 Račice Coxless pair
Silver medal – second place 2018 Plovdiv Coxless pair
Silver medal – second place 2015 Aiguebelette Coxless pair
Silver medal – second place 2015 Aiguebelette Eight

Kerri Leigh WilliamsMNZM(néeGowler;born 18 December 1993) is a New Zealandrower.[3]She is a national champion, an Olympic champion and double medallist, a three-time world champion and a current (2019) world champion in both the coxless pair and the women's eight. Williams was born inRaetihiin 1993.[4]She is ofMāoridescent, affiliating withRangitāneiwi.[5]She received her education atNga Tawa Diocesan SchoolinMarton.The school first started to offer a rowing programme in 2008 and a year later, Williams took this up. At the time, she was also competing as an equestrian but soon started focussing on rowing so much that she had to choose one of the sports. Her trainer told her three weeks after she had started rowing that she would one day represent New Zealand.Jackie Gowler,her younger sister by three years, took up rowing in 2010 inspired by her success; they have both made it into the New Zealand national rowing team. Their elder sister, Jaimee Gowler, remains active with horse riding.[6][7]After school, Williams became a member of the Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club.[4]

Williams' international career started in 2013 with the women'seight.After participation in twoWorld Rowing Cupsshe won the B-final at the2013 World Rowing ChampionshipsinChungju,South Korea.[8]Williams won the gold medal in the coxless four at the2014 World Rowing ChampionshipsinAmsterdamalongsideKayla Pratt,Kelsey Bevan,andGrace Prendergast.[9]With thewomen's eight,she came fourth at the2016 Rio Olympics.[10]She is New Zealand Olympian number 1278.[4]

At the2017 World Rowing Championships,she became world champion in the women'spairpartnered with Prendergast.[11]Williams and Prendergast regained that title at the2019 World Rowing Championships.

Competing at the2020 Tokyo Olympicsat theSea Forest Waterway,Prendergast and Williams won their heat,[12]the semi-final in a newworld best time(beaten ten minutes earlier by Greece in the first semi-final), and the A final, for Olympic gold.[13][14]They also won the heat in the eight, just three hours after their pair's heat.[12]In the final, the New Zealand eight won silver behind Canada.[15]

In the2022 Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours,Williams was appointed aMember of the New Zealand Order of Merit,for services to rowing.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Kerri Gowler".New Zealand Secondary School Rowing Association.Retrieved19 March2016.
  2. ^Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen;Mallon, Bill;et al."Kerri Gowler".Olympics at Sports-Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.Archived fromthe originalon 18 April 2020.Retrieved8 June2018.
  3. ^"2022 World Cup Team".Rowing New Zealand.6 May 2022.Retrieved23 May2022.
  4. ^abc"Kerri Gowler".New Zealand Olympic Committee.Retrieved8 June2018.
  5. ^Paewai, Kara (July 2021)."Rangitāne sisters Kerri & Jackie Gowler part of NZ's magnificent eight rowers".www.tvnz.co.nz.Retrieved4 August2021.
  6. ^Campbell, Maggie (14 May 2014)."Rowing: Sisters show they have pulling power".Wanganui Chronicle.Retrieved8 June2018.
  7. ^"Jackie Gowler".International Rowing Federation.Retrieved8 June2018.
  8. ^"Kerri Gowler".International Rowing Federation.Retrieved8 June2018.
  9. ^"W4- Results"(PDF).Retrieved7 September2014.
  10. ^Alderson, Andrew (14 August 2016)."Rio Olympics 2016: Gold for Mahe Drysdale".The New Zealand Herald.Retrieved14 August2016.
  11. ^"(W2-) Women's Pair – Final".International Rowing Federation.Retrieved1 October2017.
  12. ^abAnderson, Ian (24 July 2021)."New Zealand pair win both races to be on track for rowing golds at Tokyo Olympics".Stuff.Retrieved29 July2021.
  13. ^Anderson, Ian (28 July 2021)."NZ's rowers line up medal charge as pair, eight make Tokyo Olympic finals".Stuff.Retrieved29 July2021.
  14. ^"Prendergast and Gowler win first gold for New Zealand at Tokyo Olympics".The Guardian.29 July 2021.Retrieved29 July2021.
  15. ^Anderson, Ian (30 July 2021)."New Zealand men's rowing eight win gold, women claim silver at Tokyo Olympics".Stuff.Retrieved30 July2021.
  16. ^"The Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022".The New Zealand Herald.6 June 2022.Retrieved6 June2022.

External links[edit]

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