Tim Foster

Timothy James Carrington Foster, MBE (born 19 January 1970) is an English rower who won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite book</ref>

Career

He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the World Rowing Junior Championships in 1987 and 1988.<ref>School of the Black and Red, by Andrew Underwood, updated 2010</ref> In the latter he competed in a pair with Matthew Pinsent.<ref name="auto"/> He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two consecutive Junior Worlds. From there he proceeded into the senior squad.<ref name="auto"/>

In 1993 he underwent back surgery but was straight back in the boat for the 1994 season, winning Bronze in the coxless four at the World Championships.<ref name="auto"/> This boat stayed together until the 1996 Olympics, where they won Bronze.<ref name="auto"/>

Following his Olympic medal, he continued his university studies at Oxford, competing in the 1997 Boat Race.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1997 he won a seat in the coxless four alongside Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell.<ref name="auto"/> In the run up to the Olympics, he again needed back surgery and time off after severing tendons in his hand by punching a window at a boat club party.<ref name="auto"/> In August 2000, the month prior to winning gold in Sydney, a three-part BBC documentary entitled Gold Fever was broadcast.<ref name="auto"/> This followed the coxless four team in the years leading up to the Olympics, including video diaries recording the highs and lows in the quest for gold.<ref name="auto"/> Despite the problems Foster had had, he was in the final crew and they won the gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was awarded an MBE for his part in this in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After Sydney, he retired from international rowing, and retired as an active rower in July 2001.<ref name="auto"/> After a stint coaching at the University of London Boat Club, he joined the UK Sport-sponsored Elite Coach Programme in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2007, he became the head coach of the Swiss national rowing squad.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He remained in this role until 2012, and now works as a business coach.

Personal life

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Foster proposed to Joy Fahrenkrog, a four-time member of the United States Archery Team.<ref name="nytimes.com">Template:Cite web</ref> The pair met in 2000 while Joy was studying at the London School of Economics and rowing for the University of London Boat Club.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> His brother Jason was the team manager for the England Rowing Team and head of rowing at George Watson's College, Edinburgh.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Achievements

• Olympic Medals: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze<ref name="gordonpoole.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
• World Championship Medals: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• Junior World Championship Medals: 2 Gold<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• Blue Boat Appearances: 1 (0 wins)<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>

Olympic Games

• 2000: Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Matthew Pinsent, Steve Redgrave)<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1996: Bronze, Coxless Four<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1992: 6th, Eight<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>

World Championships

• 1999: Silver, Eight<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1998: Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Matthew Pinsent, Steve Redgrave)<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1997: Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Matthew Pinsent, Steve Redgrave)<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1995: Silver, Coxless Four<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1994: Bronze, Coxless Four<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1993: Injured, did not compete in World Championships<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1991: Bronze, Eight<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1990: 4th, Coxless Four (with Martin Cross, Peter Mulkerrins, Gavin Stewart)<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1989 – Bronze, Eight<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>

Junior World Championships

• 1988: Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>
• 1987: Gold, Coxless Four<ref name="gordonpoole.com"/>

Bibliography

• Four Men in a Boat (2004) Template:ISBN<ref name="auto"/>

External links

• Template:FISA
• Gold Fever at bbc.co.uk