Following his incredible Gold in Athens in 2004 which earned selection into the lead boat Steve Williams helped power the way to come from behind and beat Australia in an epic final to claim his second Olympic Gold medal at consecutive Games with an emphatic victory in the Men’s Coxless Four in Beijing.

Steve started rowing at Monkton Coombe School aged thirteen then carried on with the sport at Oxford Brookes University where he studied History and Town Planning. In 1999 Steve was selected for the Great Britain squad and in 2000 he won Gold at the
World Championships in a coxed four after dominating the event.

In 2001 Steve had an outstanding season, becoming World Champion in the coxless four, proving his crew were worthy successors to the Sydney Olympic four. In the 2002 and 2003 World Championships he won silvers.

In the build up to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games legendary coach Jurgen Grobler dropped a bombshell and split up Steve’s crew to bring in Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell who had become inconsistent in the pair. His decision sent shock waves through the whole GB squad.

In the most unsettled season he has ever experienced the crew suffered setbacks from illness and injuries in the build up to the Olympic Games.

Arriving in Athens the four were not considered serious contenders having never rowed together as a competitive unit. However they progressed to the final and in one of the greatest races ever seen the GB four beat the World Champions Canada by inches
to win Gold.

In 2005 Steve was selected into the men’s lead boat, again, a coxless four, and they were unbeaten all year winning the World Cup and the World Championships. He successfully defended the World Championship title in front of a home crowd at Dorney
Lake, Windsor in August 2006, making it his 4th World Championship title.

Strong performances in 2007, winning three World Cups, unfortunately ended with a poor result at the World Championships.

That loss certainly gave the crew a major boost during winter training and a new addition to the crew for 2008 gave them extra focus for the Olympics. The hard work and dedication paid off as an emphatic finish took them to victory as they came from behind to claim Gold in Beijing, Steve’s second Olympic medal at consecutive Games.


Achievements
2008 Gold - Olympic Games, Beijing, Coxless Four
2008 Gold – Munich World Cup, Coxless Four
2007 Gold – Henley Royal Regatta, Coxless Four
2007 Gold – Amsterdam World Cup ,M8+
2007 Gold – Linz World Cup ,Coxless Four
2006 Gold – World Championships, Dorney Lake,
Windsor, Coxless Four
2006 Gold – Lucerne World Cup Coxless Four
2006 Gold – Poznan World Cup Coxless Four
2006 Gold – Munich World Cup Coxless Four
2005 Gold - World Championships, Gifu, Japan, Coxless Four
2005 Gold - Lucerne World Cup Coxless Four
2005 Gold - Henley Royal Regatta Coxless Four
2005 Gold - Munich World Cup Coxless Four
2005 Gold - Eton World Cup Coxless Four
2004 Gold –Olympic Games, Athens, Coxless Four
2003 Silver - World Championships, Coxless Four
2002 Silver - World Championships Coxless Four
2001 Gold - World Championships Coxless Four
2000 Gold - World Championships Coxed Four

Double Gold Medal winner (2008 & 2004) in the Men’s Coxless Four Steve is an excellent corporate speaker and ambassador. He has worked with several blue-chip companies, as a team building/motivational speaker at sales conferences and award ceremonies. Steve is also available to host ‘learn to row’ team building days at the world’s most famous rowing club, Leander, in Henley on Thames.