Tokyo Olympics: Australian rowing team’s Spencer Turrin has unfinished business

It’s a town best known for a cricketer, a bush ranger, dairy and timber. Now a rower, who started the sport to lose weight, wants to add his name to this list with success at the Tokyo Olympics.

Australia's Spencer Turrin (L) has unfinished business in Tokyo.

People go to Dungog for it’s bushwalking, historical town and natural beauty - not to row.

But it’s where Australian rower Spencer Turrin grew up and the community he wants to make proud after he made the Tokyo-bound Olympic rowing team on Sunday.

The 38-strong rowing team boasts 29 debutants, eight athletes returning for their second Games, including Turrin, and Joshua Booth named to his third Olympics.

Turrin, who competed in the men’s coxless pair at the 2016 Olympics and is a two-time world champion in the men’s four, is being motivated by a sixth place performance in Rio which prompted his decision to prolong his career to race in the Olympic arena once again.

Spencer Turrin and Alexander Lloyd after missing a medal in the men's Pair in Rio. Pic: Brett Costello

“I just didn’t perform to expect expectation, to the level my pair partner and I believed we could have,’’ Turrin said in the leadup to his Olympic selection in Adelaide.

Turrin and Alex Lloyd won their heat of the men’s coxless pair and progressed through a semi into the final in Rio where they finished outside the medals.

It’s one of the reasons Turrin opted to continue on when the coronavirus outbreak forced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and saw numerous older athletes opt to call time on their careers.

Turrin, who has “unfinished business’’ in the Olympic arena, delayed his plans to retire from elite rowing until later this year after a potential shot at an Olympic medal and more world championship success.

“I have come back refreshed but I was looking forward to finishing my rowing career. I had seen the finish line,’’ he said.

“I was invigorated that my rowing career was coming to an end and trying to enjoy the leading to that and get the best out of myself.

“It was hard at the time (when the Olympics were postponed) but I have given up a lot, given a lot to this dream of rowing and I didn’t quite achieve what I wanted at the last Olympics.

“I didn't want to give up so I forged forward.’’

Australian rower Spencer Turrin. Pic Rowing Australia:

A member of the Sydney Rowing Club at Abbotsford in Sydney’s inner west, Turrin started his career in the sport when sent away to board at St Joseph’s College at Hunters Hill.

“I did rugby as well but rowing was the sport I excelled in,” he said

“I wanted to do it because it was something I had never heard of. I was a little dumpling as well. I wanted to lose weight.”

That objective was achieved with Turrin admitting he was quickly bitten by a rowing bug which has taken him around the world and now to a second Olympic Games.

Turrin has strong connections to his home town, well known as the birth place of cricketer Doug Walters and also Olympic equestrian Kevin Bacon.

“Dungog, they are extremely supportive community. They get right behind me. I definitely want to represent them well, make them proud,’’ Turrin said.

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Originally published as Tokyo Olympics: Australian rowing team’s Spencer Turrin has unfinished business