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australian rowers profiles and history

Lyall McCarthy OAM

Drummoyne Rowing Club (NSW), Barwon Rowing Club (VIC) & Mercantile Rowing Club (VIC)


1978 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Eight – Bronze
1981 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship (VIC) two seat – Second
1985 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship (NSW) bow - Third
1990 –Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship (VIC) three seat - First
1990 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Eight seven seat – Fifth
1991 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Eight seven seat – Fourth
1992 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship three seat - Second
1992 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Four three seat – Eighth
1995 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship coach - First
1995 – Interstate Women’s Lightweight Four Championship coach - Second
1995 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Four coach – Tenth
1995 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Pair coach- Ninth
1995 – World Championships – Women’s Lightweight Pair coach - Fifth
1996 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship coach - First
1996 – Olympic Games – Men’s Coxless Four coach – Sixth
1997 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Eight coach – Gold
1997 – Lucerne Regatta – Men’s Lightweight Eight coach – Gold
1997 – Lucerne Regatta – Men’s Lightweight Pair coach – Silver
1998 – World Championships – Men’s Lightweight Pair coach – Fifth
1998 – Lucerne Regatta – Men’s Lightweight Pair coach – Gold
1999 – Nations Cup – Women’s Quad Scull coach - Sixth
2000 – Interstate Women’s Eight Championship co-coach - First
2000 – Olympic Games – Women’s Eight coach – Fifth
2001 – Interstate Men’s Lightweight Four Championship NSW coach - Fourth
2001 – World Championships – Women’s Eight coach – Gold
2001 – World Championships – Women’s Four coach – Gold
2002 – Interstate Women’s Sculling Championship coach - Fourth
2002 – World Championships – Women’s Eight coach – Silver
2002 – World Championships – Women’s Four coach – Gold
2002 – World Championships – Women’s Pair coach - Sixth
2003 – Interstate Women’s Sculling Championship coach - Second
2003 – Interstate Women’s Sculling Championship coach - Third
2003 – Interstate Women’s Sculling Championship coach - Fourth
2003 – World Championships – Women’s Quad coach – Gold
2003 – World Championships – Women’s Double Scull coach – Sixth
2003 – World Championships – Women’s Single Scull coach – Seventeenth
2004 – Interstate Women’s Sculling Championship coach – First & Second
2004 – Olympic Games – Women’s Quad Scull coach – Bronze
2005- World Championships – Women’s Pair coach - Silver
2005- World Championships - Women’s Double Scull coach – Bronze.
2006- World Championships – Women’s Quad Scull coach – Silver.
2007 – World Championship – Women’s Pair coach – Fourth
2007 – World Championship – Women’s Eight coach – Fourth
2008 – Olympic Games – Women’s Pair coach – Tenth
2008 – Olympic Games – Women’s Eight coach – Sixth
2010 - World Championship – Women’s Quad Scull coach – Fourth
2010 - World Championship – Women’s Double Scull coach – Silver
2011 – World Championship – Women’s Double Scull coach – Silver
2012 – Olympic Games – Women’s Single Scull coach - Bronze
2012 – Olympic Games – Women’s Double Scull coach – Silver
2013 – World Championships – Women’s Single Scull coach – Gold
2013 - Inducted into the Rowing Victoria Hall of Fame
2014 -World Championships – Women’s Single Scull coach – Silver
2015 - World Championships – Women’s Single Scull coach – Gold
2016 - Olympic Games - Women's Single Scull coach - Gold
2016 onwards - Pathways Head Coach of Rowing Australia
Recipient, Coach of the Year, Australian Institute of Sport, 2003, 2005.
Recipient, Coach of the Year, Rowing Australia, 2003, 2005, 2015 and 2016

Lyall as a member of 1978 lightweight eight - in the middle

Lyall has coached on the senior A team for 17 years including 5 Olympic Games. In that time he has coached 15 medal winning boats at World Championships or Olympic Games and has won medals in every open women’s boat category, as well as gold with the men’s lightweight eight in 1997.

Lyall has coached 27 different athletes to medal at either Olympic Games or World Championships. Perhaps most interestingly, he has coached Australia’s first ever Gold Medal in the following events: Men’s Lightweight eight 1997, Women’s Coxless Four 2001, Women’s Eight 2001, Women’s Quad Scull 2003 and Women’s Single Scull 2013. He is an outstanding coach.

Lyall enjoying a golden moment in Rio with his sculler Kim Crow

Andrew Guerin 2013 (updated 2016)


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