Heather Stanning
Event: Rowing (women’s pair, with Helen Glover)
Date and Place of Birth: 26 January 1985, Yeovil, UK
Height: 181cm
Weight: 75kg
Course of Study: Sports technology
Biography:
Heather learnt to row in the University of Bath boat club.
At the 2010 World Rowing Championships on New Zealand’s Lake Karapiro, Heather along with crewmate Helen Glover gave a breakthrough performance in the women’s pair, showing no fear in their first senior Worlds by doggedly hanging on to the coat-tails of the reigning world champions, New Zealand, to win a fine silver medal.
The 2011 World Cup series started in the best possible way for Stanning and Glover when they clinched the gold medal in the womens pair in Munich.
The pair continued their rise to prominence at the final World Cup event in Lucerne, beating the reigning world champions from New Zealand to the gold medal.
Stanning and Glover have continued their golden streak in 2012, winning the womens pair at the first two World Cup events, in Belgrade and Lucerne.
University of Bath Sports Technology graduate Heather Stanning and her rowing partner Helen Glover were the first Bath-linked athletes to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The pair learned to row at the GB Rowing Team’s Start programme at the University and it was fitting that they were the first athletes with University of Bath links to go into action at the Games, rowing in the women’s pair at 9.30am on day one.
The Olympic debutants were in impressive form, setting a new British record to win their heats and progress direct to the final.
Four days later they produced an equally impressive performance, rowing with confidence and determination to win gold. It was Britain’s first gold medal of the Games and, perhaps surprisingly, the first time a GB women’s rowing crew had won Olympic gold.
Rowers Heather Stanning, Helen Glover and Dave Smith were made MBEs in the New Year’s Honours list.
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Heather and Helen again demonstrated their incredible talent on the world stage.
The pair’s successful defence of their Olympic gold contributed to Great Britain’s highest ever medal tally at a Games.
It’s gold and a piece of history for Heather and Helen
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning retain Olympic title and create more rowing history
Career highlights:
Gold: women’s pair – Rio de Janeiro, August 2016
Gold: women’s pair – Britain’s first women Olympic rowing gold medallists – London, August 2012
GB Rowing Team Profile:
