George Xouris

Mildura Rowing Club (VIC), then Mercantile Rowing Club (VIC), then Corio Bay Rowing Club (VIC), then Joondalup Rowing Club (WA) then Swan River Rowing Club (WA)

1962- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship two seat (VIC)- First

1963- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship two seat (VIC)- First

1965- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship two seat (VIC)- Third

1966- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship stroke (VIC)- First

1966- World Championships- Men's Coxless Four bow- Eliminated in repechage

1968- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship stroke (VIC)- Second

1970- World Championships- Men's Coxless Pair bow- Seventh

1971- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship (VIC) three seat- First

1972- Interstate Men's Eight Championship (WA) stroke - Second

1973- Interstate Men's Eight Championship (WA) seven seat- First

1974- Interstate Men's Eight Championship seven seat - Third

1974- World Championships- Men's Coxless Four bow- Eliminated in repechage

1976- Interstate Men's Eight Championship seven seat - Fourth

1983- World Junior Championships- Men's Coxed Four coach - Eighth

1983- Match des Seniors- Men's Coxed Four coach

1983- Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship co-coach - Third

1986- Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship coach - Third

1988- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship stroke - Fifth

1989- Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship co-coach- Race not conducted due to a cyclone.

1998- Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship coach - Third

1991- Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship coachJay

1996- Nations Cup- Men's Double Scull coach

1999- World Junior Championships- Men's Four coach -Gold

2000- Interstate Men's Lightweight Four Championship - Second

2000- World Junior Championships- Men's Pair coach - Gold

2000- Nations Cup- Men's Pair co-coach- Fourth

2001- Interstate Men's Youth Eight Championship co-coach - Sixth

2004 - Trans Tasman Series - coach

2008 - Trans Tasman Series - coach

Above: The King's Cup being presented to George in 1973

The following article on George appeared in the Australian Rowing Magazine in 1982.

While on a launch trip on the Murray River at Mildura in 1959 George Xouris noticed the Mildura Rowing Club and on the spur of the moment decided to join it. That decision led to a rowing career which lasted nearly twenty years at the very highest levels of open and lightweight competition.

George's first two years rowing were spent at Mildura under the guidance of his first coach, Don McKay.

He then joined Mercantile Rowing Club and in 1962 at the age of 21 was in the winning national lightweight eight and had his first Penrith Cup win. He rowed in furВther winning Victorian Penrith Cup fours and lightweight eights in 1964, 1965 and again in 1966, having in that year moved to Geelong and joined the Corio Bay Rowing Club. Later in 1966 he rowed in the Australian coxed four at the world championships at Bled, Yugoslavia, with Dick Garard, David Palfreyman and Peter Philp. On his return to Australia he announced his retirement.

Above: the 1966 Four

In 1968 George won the national open coxless pairs title. In 1970 he won that title again as well as winning the coxed pairs championship and another Penrith Cup. In 1970, with Jeff Watt, he represented Australia at the world chamВpionships at St Catherine's, Canada, in the coxed pair event. After yet another Penrith Cup victory in 1971 George moved to Perth and retired from rowing with what was by anyone's standard a brilliant career behind him.

Within a year, as a member of JoonВdalup Rowing Club under the direction of Joe Saunders, George was in WA's King's Cup crew and in 1973 he was in the WA crew that won the King's Cup.

An opportunity to retire was missed at this point. In 1974 he won the national open coxed and coxless four titles and then represented Australia in the coxless fours event at the world championships in Lucerne.

'Retirement' had slightly more effect at this stage of his career-it was not unВtil 1977 that George won his first naВtional veterans title, and he won his second in 1981.

He began coaching at Wesley College in 1977, assisted Ken Grant with W A's lightweight squad in 1981 and this year he has charge of WA's youth eight.

The highlight of his career? 'My best rowing memory is of the '66 four that competed at Bled. We had some superb rows in that crew. And my time at Meres under the coaching of Keith Bilney stands out'.

What of the developments in rowing during his years of involvement? 'Australia's participation in internaВtional lightweight competition has definitely been a great achievement, as has the growth here of F.I.S.A. junior rowing'.

George's achievements are all the more remarkable when it is borne in mind that he is just 1. 73 m (5'8") tall and weights 71 kg, proportions that have remained unaltered since he was 18. George sees his rowing future as firmly in the area of veteran competition, and the recent success of the WA youth crews suggests that his coaching career is just beginning.

By any measure, George has had a remarkable and successful career as a rower and coach.

Compiled by Steve Roll and Andrew Guerin - January 2018

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, errors may exist. Please send advice of any errors or inaccuracies by email to:

Also your comments, suggestions and photos are sought to enhance this site.

The idea for this history originated from the Olympic Rowing and World Senior Rowing Championship histories written by Andrew Guerin and Margot Foster in 1991, 1992 & 1993 for the Australian team handbooks. Andrew Guerin developed and extended these histories to the current format in 2004 for publication in 2004 and then expanded the site.

Steve Roll has been an invaluable contributor to the website in locating errors and finding Christian names of rowers. His superb work is acknowledged.

© Andrew Guerin – 2004
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