Lucy Stephan OAM

Melbourne University Boat Club (VIC)
2010 – National Championships Club Women’s Coxless Four two seat – First
2011 – National Championships Open Women’s Eight three seat – First
2011 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship two seat – Second
2012 – National Championships U23 Women’s Coxless Four stroke – First
2012 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship four seat – First
2012 – U23 World Championships U23 Women’s Coxless Four stroke – Silver
2013 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship stroke – First
2013 – World Cup I Women’s Eight stroke – First
2013 – World Cup III Women’s Coxless Four stroke – Second
2013 – U23 World Championships U23 Women’s Coxless Four stroke – Gold
2013 – World Championships Women’s Coxless Four stroke – Bronze
2013 – World Championships Women’s Eight stroke – Fifth
2014 – National Championships Open Women’s Eight stroke – First
2014 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship stroke – First
2014 – World Cup I Women’s Coxless Pair stroke – Eleventh
2014 – World Cup III Women’s Coxless Pair stroke – Eighth
2014 – World Championships Women’s Coxless Pair stroke – Fifth
2015 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship seven seat – First
2015 – World Cup II Women’s Eight bow – Sixth
2015 – World Cup II Women’s Coxless Four bow – Fourth
2015 – World Cup III Women’s Eight two seat – Sixth
2015 – World Championships Women’s Eight bow – Eighth
2016 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship seven seat – First
2016 – National Championships Open Women’s Coxless Four stroke – First
2016 – National Championships Open Women’s Coxless Pair stroke – First
2016 – FISA European and Final Olympic Qualification Regatta Women’s Eight seven seat – Third
2016 – Olympic Games Women’s Eight seven seat – eliminated in repechage
2017 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship stroke – First
2017 – World Cup II Women’s Coxless Four two seat – First
2017 – World Cup III Women’s Coxless Four bow – First
2017 – World Cup III Women’s Coxless Pair stroke – Fifth
2017 – World Championships Women’s Coxless Four bow – Gold
2018 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship stroke – First
2018 – World Cup II Women’s Coxless Four bow – First
2018 – World Cup III Women’s Coxless Four bow – First
2018 – World Championships Women’s Coxless Four bow – Silver
2019 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship stroke – Second
2019 – World Cup II Women’s Coxless Four stroke – Third
2019 – World Cup III Women’s Coxless Four stroke – First
2019 – World Championships Women’s Coxless Four stroke – Gold
2020 - Olympic Games Women's Four, bow - Gold
2024 - Olympic Games Women's Eight, two seat - Fourth
2024 - Inducted into the Victorian Rowing Hall of Fame
Rowing Australia’s profile of Lucy extracted on the 16th October 2020 advised:
Lucy Stephan won a silver medal at the 2012 U23 World Championships in Trakai, Lithuania. She then went on to win silver at the 2013 World Cup in Lucerne and gold in the women’s four at the U23 World Championships in Linz, Austria. Lucy is studying a Bachelor of Arts - Sociology and Media, and works as a Production Assistant for Rowing Australia sponsor, 776BC. In 2016, she made her Olympic debut racing in the Women's Eight at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In 2017, she has been named in the Women's Four alongside fellow Olympian Molly Goodman, plus Sarah Hawe and Karina Werry. The crew went on to win World Rowing Cups 2 and 3 and the World Rowing Championships, while also being named the 2017 Australian Female Crew of the Year at the 2017 Hancock Prospecting Rower of the Year Awards. Stephan was also the recipient of the Gina Rinehart Leadership Award in 2017. Lucy's hometown is Nihil in Victoria, and she enjoys rowing all over the country from The Yarra in Melbourne to the Nepean River in Penrith, as well as the home of the AIS European Training Centre - Lake Varese in Gavirate, Italy. A fan of 80s rock music pre-race, the Victorian athlete is a member of the Hancock Prospecting Women's National Training Centre in Penrith, New South Wales. In 2018, she raced in the Women's Four at the World Rowing Cups 2 and 3 and the World Rowing Championships and was also part of the Women's Eight that won the Remenham Challenge Cup at the 2018 Henley Royal Regatta.
Lucy on the left after taking Gold at 2020 Olympic Games
The following update was added in 2024 and taken from the 2024 Victorian Rowing Hall of Fame booklet following her retirement form rowing.
Lucy Stephan started her rowing journey at Ballarat Grammar under the guidance of coach Bill Gribble. After graduating in 2009, she moved to the Melbourne University Boat Club, and within two years she was selected to represent Victoria in the Women's Youth Eight, finishing third at the Interstate Championships. This was only the start of her illustrious career as a Victorian representative, in which she has been a part of a record 11 winning Queen's Cup crews, between 2012-2024.
At the age of 21, Lucy made her debut as an Australian representative at the 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chanjum, racing in the Women's Four and Eight. Over the past eleven years, Lucy has competed for Australia in a number of World Cups, Championships, and Olympic Games, building on her success year after year. Her achievements both on and off the water have been acknowledged, with Lucy awarded the 2019 Victorian Athlete of the Year, the 2021 VIS Award for Excellence, and a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2022.
Perhaps the most notable success of Lucy's career to date was her performance in the Women's Four at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The four won gold after beating the Netherlands by just 0.34 of a second, setting an Olympic best-time of 6:15.37.
Lucy most recently competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the Women's Eight. Her performance in two seat helped the crew place fourth in the A Final - the highest placing of an Australian Women's Eight in Olympic history. We extend our congratulations to Lucy for her remarkable career and express our gratitude for her contributions to the sport of rowing.
Compiled by Patrick Boomer October 2020 (updated by Andrew Guerin December 2024)
Sources
- https://rowingaustralia.com.au/athleteprofile/lucy-stephan/
- http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/42882/results/stephan-lucy
- ra.rowingmanager.com
- 2024 Victorian Hall of Fame booklet
- Image courtesy of World Rowing