Mike McKay earns highest distinction in Rowing

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)