AN Olympic gold medallist and a Team GB rowing coach have both been made an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

Leander Club rower Alex Gregory, who won gold in the men’s coxless four at London 2012, and Olympic rowing coach Robin Williams, who coached the women’s pair which won Team GB’s first gold medal, were honoured for services to rowing.

Gregory, 28, from Nettlebed, is two-time world rowing champion, winning gold in the men’s four in 2011 and 2009.

London 2012 was his first Olympics after he narrowly missed out on a place in the men’s quad for Beijing 2008.

Mr Williams, 53, of Makins Road, Henley, had taken a break from top-level coaching to focus on his Henley business Totally Outdoors when he got a call from British Rowing in 2010.

London 2012 was the third Games that he was involved in as a coach. He was also responsible for the men’s lightweight four crews at Atlanta and Beijing, which came 10th and fifth respectively.

Published 29/12/12