Paul Thompson

Paul joined the ARA coaching staff in 2001 and was the Lead Coach for Women at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, leading the coaching team to produce three medal winning boats. This was a major breakthrough for GB Women's Rowing whose first ever Olympic medal was won in Sydney in 2000. The silver in the quad and pair and the bronze in the double meant that every open weight female athlete returned with a medal and Great Britain's rowers won four medals overall, the best haul for more than 70 years.

Paul has been selected as the Head Coach for Women and Lightweights and crew coach of the women's quadruple scull for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In 2003 Paul coached Katherine Grainger and Catherine Bishop to a gold medal in the women’s pair at the World Rowing Championships in Milan. They had a good season, winning the World Cup Series, but saved their best for last, rowing through the field in the World Rowing Championship's final to take the title by storm. This was Britain’s first Olympic Class women’s gold for five years.

After Athens Paul was promoted to ARA Chief Coach for Women and Lightweights. He has personally coached the women's quad since Athens winning gold at the 2005 Worlds in Gifu, Japan. In 2006 they were disappointed to win silver behind Russia in front of a home crowd at Eton but four months later were awarded gold when one of the Russian crew was found guilty of a doping violation and the crew was disqualified.  At the 2007 Worlds in Munich the quad capped off an excellent season by winning gold.

Paul is a former Australian squad rower and began his coaching career in Canberra, Australia, his home town. In 1996 he coached the women's pair to an Olympic gold medal, Australia's first for a women's boat. He followed this with a silver in the same class at the Sydney Olympics.

Paul acquired British nationality in 2007. He graduated from the university of Canberra and worked at the Australian Institute for Sport until 2000 as senior rowing coach. He is also the recipient of an Australian Sports Medal. He lives in London with his wife Alison.