Nicholas Baxter (born 26 July 1979) is an Australian former rower. He rowed in six New South Wales eights competing at Australia's King's Cup, was a national champion and a medallist at underage and senior World Championships.

State and club rowing

Baxter's senior rowing was from the

Sydney Rowing Club Sydney Rowing Club is the oldest rowing club in New South Wales, Australia formed in 1870. It has occupied its current site on Port Jackson's Parramatta River at Abbotsford, New South Wales, Abbotsford Point since 1874. The club has a focus on it ...

and later UTS Haberfield Rowing Club. At the 2001 Australian University Championships he rowed in a pair and a four for the

UNSW Rowing Club UNSW Rowing Club in Sydney, Australia is a varsity rowing club of the University of New South Wales and was founded in 1952. It has occupied its current boatshed at Huntley's Cove on Tarban Creek on the Parramatta River since 1974. The club has a ...

. In 2002 he and Zac Kirkham won the coxless pairs title at the Australian Universities Championship in UNSW black and gold. He first made state selection for New South Wales in the 1998 youth eight contesting the Noel Wilkinson Trophy at the

Australian Rowing Championships The Australian Rowing Championships is an annual rowing event that determines Australia's national rowing champions and facilitates selection of Australian representative crews for World Championships and the Olympic Games. It is Australia's pre ...

. He rowed in the New South Wales youth eight again in 1999. In 2001 he was selected in the New South Wales senior eight contesting the King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta. He rowed in further King's Cup races for

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and rowed to a King's Cup victory in 2004.

International representative rowing

Baxter made his Australian representative debut in 2000 in an U23 men's eight who raced at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne before contesting the 2000

World Rowing U23 Championships World Rowing U23 Championships is an international rowing regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is ...

at Copenhagen where they took the silver medal. In 2001 he raced in the senior men's eight at a World Rowing Cup and then at the

2001 World Rowing Championships The 2001 World Rowing Championships were held from 19 to 26 August 2001 at Rotsee in Lucerne, Switzerland. Medal summary Men Non-Olympic classes Women Non-Olympic classes Medal table References {{Authority control World Rowing ...

in Lucerne to a seventh placing. For the

2003 World Rowing Championships The 2003 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 25 August to 1 September 2003 on the lake Idroscalo at Milan, Italy. The international rowing season usually ends with the World Championship regatta. Apart ...

selectors first chose the Australian eight and then picked Baxter in a coxless four of New South Welshmen selected to be able to train together locally. With James Chapman, Stuart Welch and Stephen Stewart he rowed to a fourth placing in Milan. In 2004 he raced in a coxless pair with Chapman at the 2004 World Rowing Cup. They placed eleventh and he did not compete at World Championships that year or again until 2007 when he was selected to the Australian coxless four. That four raced at two World Rowing Cups in Europe before contesting the

2007 World Rowing Championships The 2007 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 26 August to 2 September 2007 at Oberschleißheim Regatta Course in Oberschleißheim near Munich, Germany. Medal summary Men's events Non-Olympic classes ...

. They missed the A final and finished last in the B final for an overall twelfth placing. Baxter's final Australian representative appearance was in a coxed pair at Linz 2008 rowed to a bronze medal with

Fergus Pragnell Fergus Pragnell (born 17 September 1985) is an Australian former rower. He is a seven-time Australian King's Cup winner, an U23 World Champion and a medallist at senior World Championships. State and club rowing From Queanbeyan, New South Wales ...

and steered by Hugh Rawlinson.Baxter at World Rowing
/ref> The pair through came from a long way back in the field. They were in fifth position after the first quarter of the race and could not improve on this over the next 1000 metres. Heading into the final stages of the race Pragnell and Baxter kicked and passed the Italian and Polish crews. Poland had been leading the whole race but fatigued badly to finish fifth. Australia could not catch Canada or France and finished in a time of 7:09.30, roughly a boat and a half behind gold medallists France.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baxter, Nick 1979 births Living people Australian male rowers Rowers from Sydney World Rowing Championships medalists for Australia Sportsmen from New South Wales