Matthew Pinsent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sir
Matthew Pinsent
CBE

in 2018
Personal information
Birth name	Matthew Clive Pinsent
Nationality	British
Born	(1970-10-10) 10 October 1970 (age 54) Holt, Norfolk, England
Alma mater	St Catherine's College, Oxford
Height	6 ft 5 in
Weight	238 pounds (17.0 st; 108 kg)
Website	www.matthewpinsent.com
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Men's rowing
Event(s)	Coxless pair, coxless four
College team	Oxford University Boat Club
Club	Leander Club
Coached by	Jürgen Gröbler
Retired	2004
Medal record Men's rowing Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Coxless pair Gold 1996 Atlanta Coxless pair Gold 2000 Sydney Coxless four Gold 2004 Athens Coxless four World Rowing Championships Gold 1991 Vienna Coxless pair Gold 1993 Račice Coxless pair Gold 1994 Indianapolis Coxless pair Gold 1995 Tampere Coxless pair Gold 1997 Aiguebelette Coxless four Gold 1998 Cologne Coxless four Gold 1999 St. Catharines Coxless four Gold 2001 Lucerne Coxless pair Gold 2001 Lucerne Coxed pair Gold 2002 Seville Coxless pair Bronze 1989 Bled Coxed four Bronze 1990 Tasmania Coxless pair The Boat Race Gold The Boat Race 1990 Oxford Gold The Boat Race 1991 Oxford Silver The Boat Race 1993 Oxford

Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent (born October 10, 1970) is a famous English rower and broadcaster. During his amazing rowing career, he won ten gold medals at the World Championships. He also won four Olympic gold medals in a row, which is a huge achievement!

After he stopped competing, Matthew started working as a sports broadcaster for the BBC.

Early Life and Rowing Start

Matthew Pinsent was born on October 10, 1970, in Holt, England. His father was a church minister. Matthew started rowing when he was a student at Eton College, a well-known school.

He began his international rowing journey at the World Rowing Junior Championships in 1987. The next year, in 1988, he won a gold medal there. He competed in the junior coxless pairs event with his partner, Tim Foster.

University Rowing

After finishing school, Pinsent went to St Catherine's College, Oxford to study geography. While he was at Oxford, he took part in three famous Boat Races. He helped his team win in 1990 and 1991. In 1993, he was the president of the Boat Club, but his team didn't win that year. He had taken a break in 1992 to focus on getting ready for the Olympic Games in Barcelona.

International Rowing Career

In 1990, while still at Oxford, Matthew Pinsent teamed up with Steve Redgrave in the coxless pair event. They won a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships. This was the start of a very successful partnership between them.

Pinsent and Redgrave continued to win gold medals together. They won at the World Championships in 1991. Then, they won Olympic gold medals in the coxless pair at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and again at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Olympic Gold Medals

In 2000, Matthew Pinsent won another Olympic gold medal. This time, he was part of a coxless four team. His teammates were Steve Redgrave, James Cracknell, and Tim Foster. This was his third Olympic gold medal! Pinsent also had the honor of carrying the flag for Team GB at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Before winning gold in Sydney, Pinsent took part in a BBC TV show called Gold Fever. This show followed the coxless four team as they prepared for the Olympics. It even included video diaries showing their ups and downs.

After the 2000 Olympics, Pinsent and James Cracknell formed a new team in the men's coxless pair. They won gold medals at the 2001 World Championships in both the coxless and coxed pairs events. They also won the coxless pair gold at the 2002 World Championships.

In 2004, for his fourth Olympic Games, Pinsent competed in Athens. He was part of the men's coxless four team again. His teammates were James Cracknell, Ed Coode, and Steve Williams. In a very exciting race against the world champions from Canada, they won another gold medal! This was Matthew Pinsent's fourth Olympic gold medal.

Major Achievements

Here are some of Matthew Pinsent's biggest wins:

Olympic Games Medals

• 2004 – Gold medal in the Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Steve Williams, Ed Coode)
• 2000 – Gold medal in the Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
• 1996 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1992 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)

World Championships Medals

• 2002 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with James Cracknell)
• 2001 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with James Cracknell)
• 2001 – Gold medal in the Coxed Pair (with James Cracknell, Neil Chugani)
• 1999 – Gold medal in the Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Ed Coode, Steve Redgrave)
• 1998 – Gold medal in the Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
• 1997 – Gold medal in the Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
• 1995 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1994 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1993 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1991 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1990 – Bronze medal in the Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1989 – Bronze medal in the Coxed Four (with Terry Dillon, Steve Turner, Gavin Stewart, Vaughan Thomas)

Junior World Championships Medals

• 1988 – Gold medal in the Coxless Pair (with Tim Foster)

Career After Rowing

Matthew Pinsent announced he was retiring from rowing on November 30, 2004. For his amazing achievements, he was made a Knight Bachelor (which means he became "Sir Matthew Pinsent") on December 31, 2004.

He had already received other honors before this. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1993. Then, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2001. In 2005, he received the Thomas Keller Medal from the International Rowing Federation, which is a very high honor in rowing.

Since he stopped competing, Pinsent has worked for the BBC. He presents sports news and reports on different events. He has stayed involved in rowing by being an umpire or commentator for important races like the Olympics, Henley Royal Regatta, and The Boat Races. He even umpired his first "Blue Boat" race in 2013.

In June 2012, Pinsent rowed on the Gloriana boat as part of the royal celebration for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The next month, he was on the Gloriana again, carrying the Olympic torch as it crossed the River Thames.

Pinsent also directed a documentary called "Unbelievable – The Chad Le Clos Story." This film followed swimmer Chad Le Clos and his family for 18 months before the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was first shown in July 2016.

In 2020, Pinsent appeared on the TV show Celebrity Masterchef and finished in second place.

Personal Life

Matthew Pinsent is married to Demetra Koutsoukos. They met when they were both studying at Oxford University.

They have three children: twin boys named Jonah and Lucas, who were born in 2006, and a daughter named Eve, born in 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Pinsent para niños