| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
| Olympic Games | ||||
| 1 | Four | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 6:06.57 |
| 9 | Eight | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 5:55.77 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | Four | 2006 | Eton, GBR | 5:43.75 |
| 1 | Four | 2005 | Gifu, JPN | 6:11.59 |
| 2 | Pair | 2011 | Bled, SLO | 6:16.27 |
| 2 | Pair | 2010 | Hamilton, NZL | 6:30.48 |
| 2 | Pair | 2009 | Poznan, POL | 6:17.45 |
| 3 | Eight | 2003 | Milan, ITA | 6:03.45 |
| World Cup | ||||
| 1 | Four | 2012 | Lucerne, SUI | 5:50.84 |
| 1 | Four | 2012 | Lucerne, SUI | 5:50.84 |
| 1 | Four | 2012 | Belgrade, SRB | 5:50.29 |
| 1 | Four | 2012 | Belgrade, SRB | 5:50.29 |
| 1 | Pair | 2011 | Munich, GER | 6:24.67 |
| 1 | Pair | 2009 | Banyoles, ESP | 6:31.70 |
| 2 | Four | 2012 | Munich, GER | 6:11.15 |
| 2 | Four | 2012 | Munich, GER | 6:11.15 |
| 2 | Pair | 2011 | Lucerne, SUI | 6:28.16 |
| 2 | Pair | 2010 | Lucerne, SUI | 6:27.71 |
| 2 | Pair | 2010 | Munich, GER | 6:30.84 |
| 2 | Pair | 2010 | Bled, SLO | 6:34.52 |
| 2 | Pair | 2009 | Lucerne, SUI | 6:32.47 |
| 2 | Pair | 2009 | Munich, GER | 6:38.18 |
Nickname
Hodgey. (gosurrey.info, 29 Feb 2012)
Occupation
Athlete
Education
Environmental Management, Environmental Studies - Oxford University, Oxford, GBR
Family
Wife Eeke.
Club name
Molesey Boat Club, East Molesey, GBR
Coach
Jurgen Grobler (GER) (britishrowing.org, 29 Feb 2012)
Position and style
Stroke (britishrowing.org, 29 Feb 2012)
Debut
2002 for Great Britain, World Cup (Lucerne) (rowingone.com, 29 Feb 2012)
Injuries
His preparation in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was disrupted by injury. (morethanthegames.co.uk, 29 Apr 2009)
Additional information
Start of sporting career
He started rowing when he was at North Staffordshire University. (britishrowing.org, 29 Feb 2012)
Reason for taking up this sport
His first memory of rowing was as a 13-year-old watching Steve Redgrave stroke Great Britain to gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games with Matthew Pinsent. "I remember thinking to myself that rowing looked like a sport I might enjoy," he said. At first he only started rowing to get fit, but it turned out to be something he was good at and he decided to commit to it. (guardian.co.uk, 16 Jan 2009)
Ambitions
Winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. (guardian.co.uk, 11 Jan 2009; twitter, 29 Feb 2012)
Training
He trains seven days a week, with one day off a month. Most days run from 8am in the morning to 4pm in the afternoon, with individual sessions lasting between one and a half to two hours. Most of the time is spent on the water, but he also does dryland sessions on the rowing machine and weightlifting sessions in the gym. (ox.ac.uk, 29 Feb 2012)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Coming from behind with a relatively untested crew to beat Australia and win gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (guardian.co.uk, 11 Jan 2009)
Superstitions / Rituals
"An Olympic champion has to have that unwavering, self-driven desire to win." (thisislondon.co.uk, 14 Jul 2011)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"You sit on an ergo and you're facing an hour of exercises and all you've got is a screen or a white wall or a mirror to stare at, it gets pretty boring. At the end of the day, the glory of winning a gold medal or putting in the work and becoming part of a team which can beat the world is pretty special, and it's definitely worth it." (guardian.co.uk, 16 Jan 2009)
Awards
He is club captain of the Molesey Boat Club in Surrey. (moleseyboatclub.co.uk, 29 Feb 2012)
He was conferred Member of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2009 New Year's Honours list. (britishrowing.org, 29 Feb 2012)
General
BLOODLUST
He once described the dark motivational feelings he has at the beginning of races as 'bloodlust'. "It's what works for me," he said. "To sit on the start-line and be this person I don't like being. I want to see the other crews cross the line and be wretched, destroyed. It is that summoning of something inside you, letting yourself be overcome with aggression. It is a bloodlust, if you like, and as far as I am concerned this is the last race of my life." (skysports.com, 29 Feb 2012)
2008 TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENT
"The most important technical improvement for me before Beijing was to learn to be more patient round the front end of the stroke and not hit it too much. That's where Jonny's [coach Jonny Singfield] exercise came in. Slide up to a compressed position at the catch and drop the blade in the water. But, rather than drive your legs back straight away, hold the blade out there, until it feels like it is pushing you back. Once you feel that pressure, take the stroke. When you get it right, you row a longer, more effective stroke." (guardian.co.uk, 11 Jan 2009)
POST BEIJING BREAK
He took a three-week holiday in the Azores after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to relax and evaluate his rowing future. There was nothing left," he said. "I wondered, 'has the carrot gone?'" He lasted just six weeks away from the water before he cracked. "I tried to distract myself, but it was intrinsic, I just wanted to do it. The only way I can describe it is pure will." (guardian.co.uk, 26 Jul 2009)
BOAT RACE
While studying a masters degree at St Catherine's College, he stroked the Oxford eight that won the 2005 Boat Race, something he feels was a very positive learning experience. "Working with the Boat Race squad showed me a whole new world of working as a team, building something together, and driving towards a goal." (ox.ac.uk, 29 Feb 2012)
Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008, Athens 2004
