Martin J Aitken
Mercantile Rowing Club (VIC)
Your editor enjoys finding individuals who have contributed significantly to the sport. Martin Aitken is one of those people.
1973 - World Junior Championships - Men's Eight cox - Eighth
1973 - World Junior Championships - Men's Coxed Pair cox - Eliminated in repechage
1978 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship cox - Second
1978 - World Championships - Men's Coxed Four cox - Fifth
1979 - Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship coach - Fourth
1986 - Trans Tasman Under 23 Series Australian Men's VIII coach, 1st place
1987 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship co-coach - First
1987 - Trans Tasman Under 23 Series Australian Men's VIII coach, 1st Place
1987 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship Victoria coach - First
1988 - Interstate Men's Eight Championship co-coach - First
1988 - Australian Development Eight coach - Won Ladies' Plate at Henley Royal and 3rd at US Championships
1989 - World Championships - GB Men's Eight coach - Bronze
1989 - Henley Royal Regatta, Stewards, Thames Cup and Prince Philip - First
1990 - World Championships - GB Men's Eight coach - Fourth
1991 - World Championships - GB Men's Eight coach - Bronze, Won Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta
1991 - Match des Seniors - UK Men's Eight coach - First
1991 - Henley Royal - Grand Challenge Cup, coach - First
1992 - Olympic Games - UK Men's Coxed Four - Eighth
1992 - Henley Royal - Grand Challenge Cup coach - First
1993 - Henley Royal - Stewards coach - First
1993 - World Championships- GB Mens 4- Fifth
1994- World Junior Championships - SUI Men's VIII coach - Gold
1994 - World Championships - SUI Women's Lightweight Scull coach - Bronze
1994- World Championships - SUI Men's Lightweight Scull coach - Bronze
1995 - World Championships - SUI Men's Lightweight Double Scull coach - Gold
1996 - Olympic Games - SUI Men's Single Scull coach - Gold
1996 - Olympic Games - SUI Men's Lightweight Double Scull coach - Gold
1997 - World Championships - SUI Men's Lightweight Scull coach - Silver
1998 - World Championships- SUI Men's Lightweight Double Scull coach - Bronze
1998 - World Championships - SUI Women's Lightweight Single Scull coach- Gold
1998 - World Championships - SUI Men's Scull coach - Silver
1999 - World Championships - SUI Men's Scull coach - Silver
2000 - Olympic Games - SUI Men's Single Scull coach - Silver
2000-04 - Head Coach GB Women's and Lightweights
2005-07- Performance Director of Scottish Sports Institute
2007-14 - Performance Manager Director of Victorian Institute of Sport
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Martin with one of his successful Victorian King's Cup crews in 1986
Born and educated in Victoria, Martin is enjoyed a successful career as a rowing coach having been a school, club, state and national coach in Australia. He became head coach of University of London in 1989, then Swiss Head Coach and finally Head Coach of the UK women and Lightweights. He then shifted to high performance administration both overseas and in Australia. He was the first Australian coach to live and work overseas in an era when the only professional coaches in Australia were at the AIS. Highlights are: Three years in a row winning the Kings Cup for Victoria and the two Olympic Gold medals at Atlanta, these were the first gold medals won in Rowing since 1928 for the Swiss. In all his crews have won 3 Olympic medals and 10 world senior championship medals as well as a considerable number of World Championship and Olympic medals as Head Coach. His is a stella sporting career and is currently enjoying his retirement.
Andrew Guerin 2015