RIP Jim Flood (1941-2025)

British Rowing was saddened to hear of the recent passing of rowing coach and coach educator Jim Flood

A member of Reading RC and more recently Upper Thames RC, Jim Flood spent much of his time coaching rowing in disadvantaged and third world countries. His entire approach to coaching in rowing was to bring it up to the standard of other sports. Jim was a former engineer and he used his engineering skills to design for equipment that can be made using local skills and materials to provide basic training boats and rowing machines in those countries.

He authored several in-depth rowing books with Dr Charles Simpson, including The Complete Guide to Indoor Rowing and Advanced Rowing as well as booklets aimed at explaining the technicalities of balancing a boat and the effects of changes in rigging.

Jim was also a Coach Educator for British Rowing and a Development Coach for World Rowing. Supported by funding from Olympic Solidarity, he worked with coaches and National Rowing Federations in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Uganda and Kenya. The broad aim of his work was to raise the standards of coaching and performance in these parts of the world so that their athletes have an improved opportunity to compete at an international level.