Mike McKay earns highest distinction in Rowing
 The
2007 Thomas Keller Medal for an "outstanding career in
rowing" was awarded today to Mike McKay from Australia.
Member of the famed Australian Oarsome Foursome, with Nick
Green, Andrew Cooper and James Tomkins, and later with Drew
Ginn, Mike McKay competed in five Olympic Games taking away
two gold medals in the four in Barcelona and Atlanta. He later
participated in two Australian Olympic eights in Sydney and
Athens achieving silver and bronze respectively. On the World
Championship scene, McKay has an impressive four World Championship
titles and a silver medal in the pair with Drew Ginn.
After receiving the news of his awarding, McKay said: “This
is a highlight of my career. It has given me time to reflect
on the wonderful experiences I have gained through rowing.
Thomas Keller was a part of my early rowing experiences. My
father Reg always had stories about this guy who could swap
in and out of 5 languages […].
I'm honoured to receive a medal in his name!”
The Thomas Keller medal has been established as the highest
honour in the sport of rowing and is presented to recognise
an exceptional rowing career as well as exemplary sportsmanship.
Named after the late President of FISA, the first medal was
first awarded to the great Norwegian oarsman Alf Hansen in
1990.
The 18-carat gold Thomas Keller Medal was presented to Mike
McKay by Dominik Keller, son of the late Thomas Keller, and
FISA President Denis Oswald earlier today at the Rowing World
Cup final regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.
A short article about Mike McKay and a full list of previous
Thomas Keller Medallists are available here. For high resolution,
rights free photos of the awarding ceremony, please contact
Marion Gallimore (see contact details below).
Previous winners of the Thomas Keller Medal
Alf Hansen (NOR)
Thomas Greiner (GER)
Yuri Pimenov (RUS)
Francesco Esposito (ITA)
Nikolai Pimenov (RUS)
Rolf Thorsen (NOR)
Giuseppe Abbagnale (ITA)
Carmine Abbagnale (ITA)
Jana Sorgers (GER)
Thomas Lange (GER)
Kerstin Koeppen (GER)
Roland Baar (GER)
Silken Laumann (CAN)
Kathleen Heddle (CAN)
Steve Redgrave (GBR)
Marnie McBean (CAN)
Peter Antoine (AUS)
Nico Rienks (NED)
Matthew Pinsent (GBR)
Agostino Abbagnale (ITA)
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