The 10 Best Female Rowers in History

No list of the best rowers can be definitive. This one picks ten women whose results, longevity or influence stand out, and is deliberately not a ranking. It covers sweep and sculling, pairs and eights, and several countries, and explains what each athlete’s career can teach rowers at any level.

How the list was chosen

The choices lean on Olympic results, because they are the best-documented, and on longevity. Rowing makes comparison difficult: boat classes differ, fields change from Games to Games, and some great scullers never entered the same race as some great sweep rowers. Plenty of other women could appear.

1. Katherine Grainger (Great Britain)

Five Olympic medals from 2000 to 2016, including gold at London 2012. She raced in a quad, a pair and a double over her career. See her full profile.

2. Helen Glover (Great Britain)

Olympic gold in the coxless pair at London 2012 and Rio 2016, with Heather Stanning, then a comeback after becoming a parent, including silver in the women’s coxless four at Paris 2024. Her story shows that elite rowers can return after a break and that sport can adapt to family life. Read Helen Glover’s story.

3. Heather Stanning (Great Britain)

Glover’s partner in the pair, and a serving army officer during her career. Combining a military career with international rowing is unusual, and it shows how much time management matters at the top. See Heather Stanning.

4. Kathleen Heddle (Canada)

Three Olympic golds across 1992 and 1996. A rare example of someone who won in both sweep and sculling boats. See Kathleen Heddle.

5. Marnie McBean (Canada)

Heddle’s partner, with three Olympic golds of her own. A partnership can lift both people, and McBean’s career is the best-known example in women’s rowing. Read Marnie McBean’s profile.

6. Elisabeta Lipă (Romania)

One of the most decorated Olympic rowers of all time, with five Olympic golds across several Games. Romania has a long record in women’s rowing, especially in the eight, built on a strong national programme.

7. Silken Laumann (Canada)

Known for winning a bronze medal at Barcelona 1992 in the single sculls after a serious leg injury in the weeks before the Games, and later a silver at Atlanta 1996. Her story is a reminder that results are sometimes decided by recovery and resilience as much as training.

8. Emma Twigg (New Zealand)

Won gold in the single sculls at Tokyo 2020, after finishing fourth at London 2012 and Rio 2016, and added silver at Paris 2024. The single scull asks a rower to carry the whole race on their own balance and fitness, which makes a long wait for a medal even more striking.

9. Caryn Davies (United States)

A long-serving US eight member who medalled at several Games. The US women’s eight has been one of the most dominant crews in the sport, and crews like it depend on deep national selection and a large pool of university rowers.

10. Georgeta Damian (Romania)

A multiple Olympic champion in the Romanian eight and other boats. Along with Lipă, her career shows how a national programme can produce multiple champions over a decade.

What the ten have in common

• Range: many of them raced in more than one boat class.
• Partnership: pairs and crews depended on trust built over years.
• Longevity: most competed at several Games, which takes careful management of training load and health.
• Resilience: injury, family changes and selection setbacks are part of nearly every story.

What rowers can take from them

If you are building your own rowing, the lessons are practical. Focus on consistent aerobic work, technique and teamwork before chasing single performances. Our guide to training like an Olympic rower shows how elite habits scale down to club level.

For more, see British Olympic rowers and the Olympic rowing hub.