Chris Stevens (born 12 February 1946) is an Australian former national representative rower. He was three times a national champion in sweep-oared boats and once as a sculler. He competed in the men's coxless pair event at the 1972 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Club and state rowing

Stevens' attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School where he learned to row. His senior club rowing was initially from the Colleagues Rowing Club, a new Sydney club of the time. His later club rowing was from the Sydney Rowing Club.^[2]

In 1966, 1967 and 1970 he was seated in New South Wales state eights which contested the Kings Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships.^[3] The 1967 New South Wales crew was victorious.^[4]

At the 1966 Australian Rowing Championships in a composite SRC/SUBC crew Stevens, Alf Duval, John Ranch, Peter Dickson, and cox Brian Thomas won the Australian coxed four title.^[5] In 1970 with Haberfield's Dick Reddel he won the national championship title in a double scull.^[6] At the 1972 Australian Rowing Championships Stevens was in the three two seat of a composite Drummoyne/Sydney/Haberfield four which took the men's coxed four national title, qualifying all crew members for the Australian Olympic squad, although ultimately Stevens would row in the coxed pair in Munich.^[7]

International representative rowing

In 1966 he was selected at three in the Australian coxed four which competed at the 1966 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia.^[8]

In 1967 a limited Australian squad was selected to race at the European Rowing Championships. Stevens was selected at three in the Australian eight.^[2] The crew suffered greatly from equipment problems and boat delivery hold-ups and failures. Nonetheless they managed an overall sixth place finish.^[9]

In 1972 Stevens was in the bow seat of the Australian coxless pair which raced at the Munich Olympics. Rowing with Kim Mackney, the pair was eliminated in the repechage.^[10]

References