London 2012: Meet the York Olympians
**UPDATE: August 1, 2012: York rower Tom Ransley wins bronze! Read the report from York Press here**
With London 2012 upon us, YorkMix offers a spotter’s guide to York Olympians. These are the athletes we should be looking out for during the next exciting couple of weeks – and cheering all the louder when we see them.
The biogs come courtesy of Team GB.
Richard Buck
Sport Athletics
Event 4x400m Relay
Date of Birth 14/11/86
Lives Loughborough, Leicestershire
Born York
Height (cm) 188.00
Weight (kg) 80.00
Club City of York
Coach Kevin Tyler
Richard Buck has consistently run well indoors but has enjoyed better outdoor form in 2012, running a new personal best in Geneva in June.
He came fifth at the recent European Championships and won his first major outdoor medal in the 4x400m relay.
- Gift of £10,000 boosts Richard Buck’s Olympic dream
- Richard Buck travels the hard metres to realise his dream
- Buck stops the rot after another GB relay disaster
Tom Ransley
Sport Rowing
Date of Birth 06/09/85
Lives Cambridge
Born Ashford, Kent
Height (cm) 198.00
Weight (kg) 100.00
Club York City Rowing Club
Coach John West, Christian Felkel
During the 2012 World Cup Series, Tom raced in the men’s eight in both Belgrade and Lucerne. In Belgrade, the crew won a silver medal finishing 3 seconds behind the German eight. The crew won silver once again in Lucerne but closed the gap to just over 1 second.
At the 2012 GB Rowing Team Senior Trials held on 10/11 March at Eton/Dorney, Tom and crew mate Greg Searle came sixth in the men’s pair.
At the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Tom and crew mates Alex Partridge, James Foad, Cameron Nichol, Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell, Mohamed Sbihi, Greg Searle, Dan Ritchie and (cox) Phelan Hill won a silver medal in the men’s eight after rowing through opposition from Canada and Australia. Germany won the gold.
During the 2011 World Cup Series Tom raced in the men’s eight, taking a silver medal behind Germany in Munich and a bronze in Lucerne.
At the 2010 World Rowing Championships on New Zealand’s Lake Karapiro, Tom won a fine silver medal in the eight. This was an excellent step on for the crew, who were only six-tenths of a second behind the reigning world champions, Germany, as they crossed the line. The bronze medal went to Australia.
Tom raced in the men’s eight at the 2009 World Championships in Poznan, finishing 5th, after establishing his place in the boat during the 2009 World Cup series, winning bronze in Banyoles and Munich. Earlier in the year Tom raced for Cambridge in the Boat Race, finishing second!
In 2008 Tom rowed in the Boat Race and he was one of the four Cambridge University rowers selected to race together as a development men’s four at the third World Cup in Poznan. The crew finished 10th overall. Tom and his CUBC crewmate Pete Marsland went on to race in the men’s four at the 2008 European Championships, alongside brothers George and Will Laughton, winning the B-Final. He also won the Steward’s Challenge Cup at Henley.
In 2007, Tom finished 6th in the men’s eight in the World U23 Championships and went on to finish 5th in the men’s eight at the European Championships later that summer. In the same year Tom won the Britannia Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.
He studied as an undergraduate at York University and did his post-graduate work at Cambridge.
Tom has also played basketball to County level.
Phelan Hill
Sport Rowing
Date of Birth 21/07/79
Lives London
Born Beford
Height (cm) 171.00
Weight (kg) 55.00
Club Leander Club
Coach John West, Christian Felkel
During the 2012 World Cup Series, Phelan coxed the men’s eight in both Belgrade and Lucerne. In Belgrade, the crew won a silver medal finishing 3 seconds behind the German eight. The crew won silver once again in Lucerne but closed the gap to just over 1 second.
At the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Phelan coxed the men’s eight to a silver medal after rowing through opposition from Canada and Australia. Germany won the gold.
During the 2011 World Cup Series Phelan coxed the men’s eight to a silver medal behind Germany in Munich and a bronze in Lucerne.
At the 2010 World Rowing Championships on New Zealand’s Lake Karapiro, Phelan coxed the men’s eight. The silver medal was an excellent step on for the crew, who were only six-tenths of a second behind the reigning world champions, Germany, as they crossed the line. The bronze medal went to Australia.
For the 2010 World Cup series Phelan coxed the men’s eight, winning gold in Bled, bronze in Munich and in Lucerne taking another bronze which was a significant step up for the crew given the calibre of the field there.
Phelan started coxing at Bedford School in 1995 to help some friends who were in need of a cox. He enjoyed it so much he decided to carry on and cox both at his school and his local rowing club.
On leaving school he took time off to concentrate on his studies and his professional career. He graduated from the University of Leicester in 2001 with a degree in Law, moving to York in 2002 to attend Law school before moving to London to work. That year he took up rowing again, joining London Rowing Club. In his first season there, he competed in the 2002 Commonwealth Championships winning gold in the lightweight eight for England. Since then Phelan has been an active member of London Rowing Club, winning Henley Royal Regatta and winning gold again in the 2006 Commonwealth Championships for England.
2007 was Phelan’s first year in the GB senior men’s sweep team. He came 4th in the coxed four at the World Championships in Munich and also won gold in the eight at the World Cup in Amsterdam in June 2007.
Phelan coxed the men’s eight to a 5th place at the 2009 World Championships in Poznan, after the crew achieved a direct A-Final qualification from their heat by overhauling Australia on the last stroke. He had established his place in the boat during the 2009 World Cup series, winning bronze in Banyoles and Munich and 4th in Lucerne.
Phelan now works for HM Treasury, who are hugely supportive of his rowing career. When not rowing he enjoys improving his golf swing, travelling around the world and playing the didjeridoo.