Susan Brown (born 1958) is an English former cox who competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics and is also notable for being the first woman to compete in the 152-year history of The Boat Race when she coxed the Oxford VIII in the 1981 race.[1][2]

Sue Brown
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1958-06-29) 29 June 1958 (age 66)
Devon
Sport
ClubWadham College BC
Oxford University WBC

Rowing career

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Brown is from Honiton, Devon and took up rowing while studying biochemistry as an undergraduate at Wadham College, Oxford. in 1979 Dan Topolski recruited Brown for the British squad and in 1980 she coxed the Oxford crew to victory in the women's boat race.[3] She was selected to represent Great Britain in the women's coxed four at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The crew which consisted of Brown, Pauline Janson, Bridget Buckley, Pauline Hart and Jane Cross finished in sixth place.[4]

Brown was headline news in 1981, when she was selected as the Oxford cox for the men's boat race.[1][2][5] Oxford won the 1981 race by 8 lengths.[6] During 1981, she also coxed the four at the 1981 World Rowing Championships[3] and was both the quads and four that won the national titles, at the 1981 National Championships.[7] Brown also coxed the Oxford VIII in the 1982 race which Oxford won by 3+14 lengths.

References

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  1. ^ a b McClain, Barclay (18 February 1981). "Eight good men and Sue". The Glasgow Herald. p. 23. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b Culley, Jon (22 March 1994). "Where Are They Now?: Sue Brown – Sport – The Independent". The Independent. London: INM. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Profile". Rowing Story.
  4. ^ "Biographical information". Olympedia.
  5. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sue Brown". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  6. ^ Hunn, David (5 April 1981). "Here's looking at Sue". The Observer. p. 23.
  7. ^ "NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (17-18 JULY 1981)". Rowing Story.