Polly Swann (born 5 June 1988) is a British

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is di ...

and a member of the

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Rowing Team.British Rowing – Profile of Polly Swann
/ref> She is a former World and European champion in the women's coxless pairs, having won the 2013 World Rowing Championships at Chungju in Korea, and the

2014 European Rowing Championships The 2014 European Rowing Championships was held in Belgrade, Serbia, between 30 May and 1 June 2014. Medal summary Men Women Medal table Source References External links Official website {{European championships in 2014 European Rowi ...

at Belgrade, Serbia with her partner

Helen Glover Helen Glover (born 17 June 1986) is a British professional rower and a member of the Great Britain Rowing Team. Ranked the number 1 female rower in the world in 2015–16, she is a two-time Olympic champion, triple World champion, quintuple ...

. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won a silver medal in the women's eight. In the 2020

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

she took a break from rowing to work as a doctor at

St John's Hospital, Livingston St John's Hospital is the main general hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. Located in the Howden area of the town, it serves Livingston and the wider West Lothian region. St John's is a teaching hospital for the University of Edinb ...

. In 2021 she regained the European Coxless Pair title in Varese, Italy, with Helen Glover. She and Glover finished fourth in the

Summer Olympics in Tokyo Summer is the Heat, hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after Spring (season), spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark h ...

Early life

Polly Swann is the elder of two children born to Sally and David Swann, a doctor. She was born in Lancaster, England, but when she was three weeks old the family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she was raised and educated. She attended

George Heriot's School George Heriot's School is a Scottish independent primary and secondary day school on Lauriston Place in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In the early 21st century, it has more than 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff, and 80 non-teaching staff ...

where, at the age of 14, she started rowing on the Union Canal. She went on to study medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

until taking a sabbatical in 2010 to concentrate on rowing. In 2013 she studied for a degree in global health policy at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...

.The Herald, Scotland. Sunday Herald. 16 June 2013, Polly's pulling power by Susan Swarbrick
/ref>

Career

2009

At the

European University Sports Association European University Sports Association (EUSA) is an umbrella non-governmental ( NGO) non-profit organisation, working in the field of university sport in Europe. It links national university sport federations, universities, teams, individual comp ...

(EUSA) Championships Swann won a gold medal in the women's pair and a silver medal in the women's eight. She represented

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

at the

Home International Regatta The Home International Regatta is a rowing regatta held every year for the countries of the British Isles - England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Events are held for both men and women at junior (under 18) and senior levels, including Para-ro ...

held at

Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre Holme Pierrepont Country Park, home of The National Water Sports Centre is located in the hamlet of Holme Pierrepont near Nottingham, England and on the River Trent. It is used for many different types of sports and has recently received sign ...

, England, winning gold medals in both the women's pair and the women's eight.

2010

In 2010, she rowed in the quadruple sculls at the

World Rowing U23 Championships World Rowing U23 Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ("FISA" , ) is a United States federal law that establishes procedures for the physical and electronic s ...

in Brest, Belarus and finished fourth. This success gave her the impetus to take a sabbatical from her University Medical Degree course, to move to Henley and concentrate full-time on rowing.The Herald, Scotland. 25 May 2012, Swann takes to the water in quest for gold, by Richard Winton
/ref> She won gold in the 'Under 23 quadruple sculls' at Amsterdam International Regatta in June. At the

Henley Women's Regatta Henley Women's Regatta, often abbreviated to "HWR" or "Women's Henley", is a rowing regatta held at Henley-on-Thames, England. Chris Aistrop and Rosemary Mayglothling were jointly responsible for setting up the Regatta in June 1988 and Aistrop ...

in June she won the ''Avril Vellacott Cup'' for Elite Coxless Fours. She was a member of the Scotland Team for the

Commonwealth Rowing Championships The Commonwealth Rowing Championships are a regatta for rowers from Commonwealth nations held in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games. Rowing is classed as an 'optional' sport for the purposes of the Commonwealth Games, but is currently not in ...

Welland Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada. As of 2021, it had a population of 55,750. The city is in the centre of Niagara and located within a half-hour driving distance to Niagara Falls, Niagara-o ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

2011

Swann was a member of the women's eight at the 2011

European Rowing Championships The European Rowing Championships is an international Rowing regatta organised by FISA (the International Rowing Federation) for European rowing nations, plus Israel which, though not a member of the European federation is treated as a Europea ...

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...

, where they finished fourth. At the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials at Eton/Dorney, Swann was teamed with Monica Relph in the women's coxless pair and finished fifth. At the

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...

she reached the final of the ''

Remenham Challenge Cup The Remenham Challenge Cup is a rowing event for women's eights at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to female crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to ma ...

'', where the GB Senior Women's eight were defeated by Princeton Training Center, U.S.A.Henley Royal Regatta, 2011 results – Remenham Challenge Cup
/ref>

2012

Swann and Jo Cook finished fourth in the women's pairs at the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials at Eton Dorney in March. Back injury contributed to her missing selection for the Olympics rowing team.BBC, Sport, Rowing, 28 June 2013, Polly Swann: Helen Glover's partner uncertain of boat for Rio
/ref>

2013

Teamed with

in the women's coxless pair under the tutelage of

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comed ...

, Swann completed a clean sweep of three victories at the

World Rowing Cup The World Rowing Cup is an international rowing competition organized by FISA The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ("FISA" , ) is a United States federal law that establishes procedures for the physical and electronic surveillan ...

, winning gold at

Penrith Lakes Penrith Lakes is an area located in the suburb of Penrith in the Western Sydney Region, it features lakes and parklands as well as recreational facilities. Penrith lakes is managed by the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation (PLDC) which was form ...

, Australia in March;

Eton Dorney Dorney Lake (also known as Eton College Rowing Centre, and as Eton Dorney as a 2012 Summer Olympics venue) is a purpose-built rowing lake in England. It is near the village of Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and is around 3 km (2 miles) west of ...

, London in June; and

Lucerne Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label= Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital o ...

Rotsee in July. In July 2013, at the

she teamed up with Victoria Meyer-Laker, Frances Houghton and Helen Glover to win the

Princess Grace Challenge Cup The Princess Grace Challenge Cup is a rowing event for women's quadruple sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to female crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may com ...

for women's

quadruple scull A quadruple sculling boat, often simply called a quad and abbreviated 4x, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four people who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, or "sculls", one in each hand. Rac ...

. Competing as

Leander Club Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior t ...

and

Minerva Bath Rowing Club Minerva Bath Rowing Club is a rowing club in Bath, England The club The club was founded in 1914 as Bath Ladies Boat Club (BLBC). It is one of the earliest women's rowing clubs in England and had strong links with the suffragette movement in t ...

they completed the final course in 6 minutes 59 seconds.Henley Royal Regatta, Official results, 2013
On 31 August, teamed with Helen Glover in the women's coxless pair, she became the world champion at the

2013 World Rowing Championships The 2013 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 25 August to 1 September 2013 at Tangeum Lake, Chungju in South Korea. The annual week-long rowing regatta was organized by FISA (the International Rowing F ...

Chungju Chungju (충주시) is a city in North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Uamsan is a mountain located within the outskirts of the city. The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Also of note, former UN Secretar ...

in the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its ea ...

. They completed the final in 7 mins 22.82 secs, finishing ahead of Roxana Cogianu and Nicoleta Albu of Romania, and having overhauled the American boat which had led briefly in the early stages.World Rowing. 2013 World Championships at Chungju, Korea
/ref>British Rowing. 31 August 2013. Gold for Glover-Swann, GB Rowing Team men's quad make history – Race reports
In December 2013 Glover and Swann were voted as 'Team of the Year' by the ''SportsSister'' organisation, additionally Glover won the 'Readers Choice' vote. Glover and Swann also received the Chairman's award from the Sports Journalists' Association (SJA).Sportsister
/ref>Sports Journalists Association
/ref>

2014

On 19 April 2014 Swann was teamed with Jessica Eddie for the women's pair at the British rowing trials at Caversham, where they finished 1.14 seconds behind Helen Glover and Heather Stanning.BBC, Sport – Rowing. 19 April 2014. Heather Stanning & Helen Glover reunite to win British rowing trials By Lawrence Barretto
/ref> In May, Swann was selected to partner Helen Glover in the women's coxless pair at the

Ada Ciganlija Ada Ciganlija ( sr-cyr, Ада Циганлија, ), colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River's course through central Belgrade, Serbia. The name can also ...

, Belgrade on 30 May.BBC Sport News, 14 May 2014, Heather Stanning backed for quick return despite European absence, By Lawrence Barretto
/ref> In the heat they set a new European best time of 7 minutes 9 seconds, and in the final on 1 June they lowered it to 7 minutes 3.62 seconds, finishing 5 seconds ahead of the reigning European champion Cristina Grigoras and

Laura Oprea Laura Oprea (born 19 February 1994) is a Romanian rower. She competed in the women's eight event at the 2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, ...

of Romania.GB Rowing, 1 June 2014, European Championships – Men's four and women's pair stand out in Serbia
BBC Olympic Sports- Rowing. 1 June 2014 European Rowing Championships 2014: Great Britain win two golds
/ref>World Rowing.com, 1 June 2014. European Championships – A European Champs of Best Times

2016

She won a silver medal in the women's eight at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

2019

Having taken time away from rowing to complete her medical studies at the

, Swann returned to international competition after being selected in the W4- for the Poznan World Cup in June 2019. At the

2019 World Rowing Championships The 2019 World Rowing Championships were held in Ottensheim, Austria from 25 August to 1 September 2019. Apart from Ottensheim, the right to host the championships was contested by Hamburg in Germany, Račice in the Czech Republic, and Varese ...

Ottensheim Ottensheim is a municipality in the district of Urfahr-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. In July 2008 it hosted the World Rowing Championships, and it did so again in 2019. History First settlements in this area date from about 4 ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, her team won the "B" final of the coxless 4 (W4-) and qualified for the

2020 Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

2020

During the

Swann took a break from rowing to work as a Junior Doctor at

.BBC, 22 July 2021, by Thomas Duncan, Sport, ''Polly Swann: Olympic rower on working the wards, training in her shed & unfinished business''
/ref>

2021

At the

2021 European Rowing Championships The 2021 European Rowing Championships were held from 9 to 11 April 2021 in Varese, Italy. 18 events in rowing and 4 in para rowing. Medal summary Men Women Mixed para-rowing events Medal table References {{European championships in 202 ...

Varese Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label=Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559. It is the c ...

, Italy, she won the gold medal in the coxless pair (W2-) teamed with Helen Glover. They completed the final in 7 mins 2.73 seconds, eventually overhauling the

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

crew of

Adriana Ailincai Adriana Adam ( Ailincă) (born 11 April 1999) is a Romanian rower. She is an Olympic champion and won the gold medal in the women's eight at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Adam is also a two-time world champion in eight and four-time European cha ...

and

Iuliana Buhus Iuliana is a feminine given name. It may refer to: * Iuliana Gorea-Costin (born 1957), Moldovan diplomat and politician * Iuliana Hobincu (born 1954), Romanian handball player * Iuliana Măceșeanu (born 1981), Romanian épée fencer * Iuliana Roxa ...

by 0.29 seconds. In June 2021, Glover and Swann were named as the women's pair for the

, making Glover the first mother to row for Britain.''Helen Glover insists ‘more to come’ after historic appearance in rowing pairs''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

, 24 July 2021 On July 28 they qualified for the A Final by finishing second in their semi-final. In the final on July 29 they finished in fourth position, completing in 6 minutes 54.96 seconds, which was 4.77 seconds behind the Gold medalists,

Grace Prendergast Grace Elizabeth Prendergast (born 30 June 1992) is a former New Zealand sweep rower. She is a 15-time national champion in the premier category, an Olympic champion, a five-time world champion and the current (2022) world champion in the coxle ...

and Kerri Gowler of New Zealand and 2.86 seconds behind the Bronze medalists

Caileigh Filmer Caileigh Filmer (born December 18, 1996) is a Canadian national representative rower, an Olympian and a 2018 world champion. Caileigh graduated from Mount Douglas Secondary in 2014 and started at University of California in fall of 2014. She ...

and

Hillary Janssens Hillary Janssens (born July 21, 1994 in Surrey, British Columbia) is a Canadian rower from Surrey, British Columbia. Hillary and her rowing partner Caileigh Filmer won a gold medal at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria and a bronze ...

of Canada.World Rowing. 2020 Olympic Games Regatta. Wednesday 28 July Results
/ref> Afterwards Glover said ''“The reward is knowing that we crossed the line giving it our all. The frustration would have been coming away from thinking we had more and we didn’t."'' The Guardian, 29 July 2021, Sport, No fairytale finish but Helen Glover focuses on reward of giving her all, by Andy Bull
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Swann, Polly 1988 births Living people Sportspeople from Lancaster, Lancashire English female rowers Scottish female rowers Members of Leander Club Olympic rowers of Great Britain People educated at George Heriot's School Rowers at the 2016 Summer Olympics World Rowing Championships medalists for Great Britain Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in rowing Alumni of the University of Edinburgh European Rowing Championships medalists Rowers at the 2020 Summer Olympics Scottish Olympic medallists