Anna Watkins facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Anna Rose Bebington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  United Kingdom |
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| Born | 13 February 1983 Leek, Staffordshire, England |
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| Education | Natural Sciences | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Newnham College, Cambridge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Student | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2001– | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Great Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Double sculls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University team | Newnham College Boat Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Rob Roy Boat Club Leander Club |
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| Turned pro | 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Anna Rose Watkins (born Anna Rose Bebington on 13 February 1983) is a famous British rower. She is known for winning medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
Anna competed in two Olympic Games. She won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Four years later, she won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Both of these medals were in the double sculls event. She also earned four medals at the World Championships, including two gold medals in 2010 and 2011.
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Anna Watkins' Early Life
Anna Watkins was born and grew up in Leek, Staffordshire, England. She went to Westwood College in Leek. Later, she studied Natural Sciences at Newnham College, Cambridge. This is where she first started rowing in 2001.
Starting Rowing at Cambridge
Anna began her rowing journey with the Newnham College Boat Club. She was a captain for the junior boats and then became the club's secretary. She also represents Leander Club in rowing competitions.
In 2003, her college crew became "Head of the Cam." This means they were the fastest boat in a local race series. After that, Anna joined a special program to find talented athletes for UK sport.
First International Races
In 2004, Anna made her first appearance in an international race. She won a gold medal in the Coxless IVs event. This was at the World Under 23 Regatta in Poznań, Poland. Her teammates were Natasha Page, Beth Rodford, and Alison Knowles.
In 2005, Anna competed for the first time in a senior international event. She was part of the Women's Eight team. They finished fifth at the World Championships in Gifu, Japan. She also won a bronze medal at the World Under 23 Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.
Anna Watkins' Rowing Career Highlights
In 2006, Anna changed to sculling, which is a type of rowing where each rower uses two oars. She started competing in the double scull boat class and has stayed with it since. The World Championships in 2006 were held in England at Eton Dorney. Anna and her partner, Annabel Vernon, finished in fourth place. They had won the World Cup series earlier that year.
Olympic Medals and Partnerships
For the next two years, Anna's rowing partner was Elise Laverick. Together, they won bronze medals at both the World Championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Olympic medal was very close, with only 0.23 seconds separating the top three teams.
In 2009, Anna teamed up with Annabel Vernon again. They won a silver medal at the World Championships in Poznań, Poland.
Unbeaten Seasons with Katherine Grainger
In 2010, Anna started rowing with Katherine Grainger. They had an amazing season in their double scull boat, winning every race. Their biggest victory was at the World Championships in New Zealand. They were named "World Rowing Female Crew of the Year." They also won "The Sunday Times Women's Sports Team of the Year" award for 2010.
In 2011, Anna beat Katherine Grainger in the British Rowing Team trials. Despite this, they decided to row together again in the double scull. They continued their winning streak, finishing the season with another World Championships gold medal. Anna also won the Wingfield Sculls race again, setting a new record time.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Anna and Katherine Grainger set a new Olympic record in the semi-final of the double sculls. They then went on to win the final, earning the gold medal for Great Britain.
After the Olympics
Anna Watkins was given the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013. This award recognized her great contributions to the sport of rowing.
In August 2015, Anna announced she wanted to return to rowing competitions. She aimed to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics. If she had succeeded, she would have been the first mother to represent Great Britain in rowing.
However, in February 2016, Anna decided not to continue with the Olympic program for Rio 2016. She explained that her performance was not where it needed to be. She said it was a difficult decision but one she had to make.
Anna Watkins' Personal Life
In September 2009, Anna married Oliver Watkins. Oliver was a part-time rowing coach and was studying at Cambridge, which is where they met. The couple lives in Wokingham. Oliver works for the McLaren Formula One team, focusing on car suspension.
Anna and Oliver have two sons. Their first son, William James, was born in September 2013. Their second son was born in February 2015.
Anna also holds a PhD in mathematics from the University of Reading.
Achievements
Here are some of Anna Watkins' major achievements:
Olympic Games
- 2012 London – Gold medal in Women's Double Sculls
- 2008 Beijing – Bronze medal in Women's Double Sculls
World Rowing Championships
- 2011 Bled – Gold medal in Double Scull
- 2010 Lake Karapiro – Gold medal in Double Scull
- 2009 Poznań – Silver medal in Double Scull
- 2007 Munich – Bronze medal in Double Scull
World Rowing Under 23 Championships
- 2005 – Bronze medal in Coxless Pair
- 2004 – Gold medal in Coxless Four
See also
In Spanish: Anna Watkins para niños
