Louisa Reeve

Rower // Women's Squad
Date of Birth: 16th May 1984 (40 years old)
Club: Leander Club
Height: 183.00
Hometown: London

Louisa Reeve profile image

Louisa Reeve has the rare distinction of having competed at two Olympic Games but in three finals.

Louisa Reeve was part of the women’s eight that finished fifth at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012, the first time after stepping in for an ill team-mate having already raced in the women’s pair final.

Louisa, a former World University champion, is among the more experienced members of the GB Rowing Team women’s squad having first represented her country in 2005.

Louisa was part of the women’s eight at both Beijing 2008 and London 2012, the first time having already raced in the women’s pair final

On The Water

2014

European Silver Medallist Women's Eight

2012

Olympic Finalist Women's Eight

2011

World Bronze Medallist Women's Eight

2008

Olympic Finalist Women's Pair and Women's Eight

2007

World U23 Silver Medallist Women's Quadruple Scull

World Bronze Medallist Women's Eight

2005

World University Champion Women's Double Scull

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

Louisa partnered Vicki Meyer-Laker in a second women’s pair at the 2016 World Cups in Lucerne and Poznan, improving with every outing as they finished ninth and eighth respectively.

Louisa was selected in the women’s eight for the 2015 season and helped qualify the boat for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with a fourth-placed finish at the World Championships in Aigubelette.

The season had started with a fifth-placed finish at the European Championships in Poznan, with the GB crew looking well on course for a medal until a boat-stopping crab in the closing stages.

They hit back with impressive bronze medals at the Varese and Lucerne World Cups, twice going under six minutes at the first of those, before finishing less than a second shy of the podium in Aiguebelette.

Louisa started the Olympiad in a second GB women’s pair with Katie Greves, finishing fourth at the Eton Dorney World Cup, before moving to the eight for the rest of the 2013 season. She was again fourth at both the World Cup in Lucerne and World Championships in Chungju.

She raced in the eight throughout 2014, winning silver at the European Championships in Belgrade and bronze medals at the World Cups in Aiguebelette and Lucerne before finishing sixth at the World Championships in Amsterdam.

(From left) Polly Swann, Caragh McMurtry, Rosamund Bradbury, Zoe de Toledo, Zoe Lee, Louisa Reeve, Katie Greves, Donna Etiebet and Jess Eddie won women's eight bronze at the Aiguebelette World Cup in 2014
Louisa Reeve racing in the women's pair final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Louisa and Olivia Whitlam, after finishing a fine sixth at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, won the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials for the next two years and continued in the pair in 2009. They won World Cup gold and bronze in Banyoles and Lucerne respectively before finishing sixth at the World Championships in Poznan.

After starting the 2010 season with fifth place at the World Cup in Bled, Louisa was paired with Jess Eddie for the Munich World Cup and finished ninth. She had doubled up in the eight at both events, winning gold and silver, and continued in the boat for the rest of the year, taking bronze at the Lucerne World Cup and finishing just outside the medals at the World Championships in New Zealand.

Louisa remained in the eight for the rest of the London Olympiad and, after taking silver at the Munich World Cup, secured her second World Championships medal with bronze in Bled in 2011.

Two more bronze medals followed at the Belgrade and Munich World Cups in 2012 before Louisa and the eight recorded another fifth-placed finish at the London Olympics.

GB Competitive Record

Olympic Games
2012 5th W8+
2008 5th W8+
2008 6th W2-
Olympic Games:
2012
5th
W8+
Olympic Games:
2008
5th
W8+
Olympic Games:
2008
6th
W2-
World Rowing Championships
2015 4th W8+
2014 6th W8+
2013 4th W8+
2011 W8+
2010 4th W8+
2009 6th W2-
2007 W8+
World Rowing Championships:
2015
4th
W8+
World Rowing Championships:
2014
6th
W8+
World Rowing Championships:
2013
4th
W8+
World Rowing Championships:
2011
W8+
World Rowing Championships:
2010
4th
W8+
World Rowing Championships:
2009
6th
W2-
World Rowing Championships:
2007
W8+
European Rowing Championships
2015 5th W8+
2014 W8+
European Rowing Championships:
2015
5th
W8+
European Rowing Championships:
2014
W8+
World Rowing Cup Regattas
2016 Poznan 8th W2-
2016 Lucerne 9th W2-
2015 Lucerne W8+
2015 Varese W8+
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Poznan
8th
W2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2016 Lucerne
9th
W2-
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2015 Lucerne
W8+
World Rowing Cup Regattas:
2015 Varese
W8+
World Rowing U23 Championships
2007 W4x
2006 5th W4-
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2007
W4x
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2006
5th
W4-
World University Rowing Championships
2006 W2x
World University Rowing Championships:
2006
W2x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials
2016 4th W2-
2015 2nd W2-
2014 7th W1x
2013 4th W1x
2012 2nd W2-
2011 2nd W2-
2010 1st W2-
2009 1st W2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2016
4th
W2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2015
2nd
W2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2014
7th
W1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2013
4th
W1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2012
2nd
W2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2011
2nd
W2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2010
1st
W2-
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2009
1st
W2-

More info...

Louisa’s top-five finishes with the women’s eight at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games are among the highlights of a GB Rowing Team career that started in 2005.

She was fifth in the women’s four at the World U23 Championships in Amsterdam and returned the following year to win silver in a women’s quadruple scull that also included Tina Stiller. Louisa also won a gold medal in the women’s double at the 2006 World University Championships.

An impressive senior debut in 2007 saw Louisa stroke the eight to a silver medal at the World Cup in Linz. Two more World Cup A finals followed before Louisa won her first World Championships medal, a fine bronze in Munich.

After starting the 2008 season in the eight, Louisa moved to the pair with Olivia Whitlam and secured a Beijing Games place with a fine performance at the final Olympic Qualification Regatta. They went on to finish sixth in China, an exceptional result. Louisa then gained her second experience of an Olympic final when she replaced an ill team-mate in the eight and finished fifth.

Club: Leander Club
Boat: Women’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: James Harris
Learnt to Row: Downe House School
Original Club(s): Durham University Boat Club
Original Coach(es): Emma and Wade Hall-Craggs

Beyond the Boat

Louisa learnt to row at Downe House School but only took up the sport seriously while studying Natural Science at Durham University, where she was coached by Emma and Wade Hall-Craggs.

She is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Current Address Home Town Region
Henley-on-Thames London London
Current Address:
Henley-on-Thames
Home Town:
London
Region:
London
Date of Birth Height
16th May 1984 183cm
Date of Birth:
16th May 1984
Height:
183cm
Education
Downe House School, Durham University
Education:
Downe House School, Durham University