James Clark

Who is James Clark?

James Clark is a British rower who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, in the 1976 Summer Olympics, and in the 1980 Summer Olympics.

In 1972 he was a crew member of the British boat which finished seventh in the coxless fours event.

Four years later at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal he won the silver medal with the British boat in the eights competition. At the 1977 and 1978 World Rowing Championships,he won Silver medals both years rowing with John Roberts in the coxless pair event.

At the 1980 Games in Moscow he and his partner Chris Baillieu finished fourth in the double sculls contest.

During the early 1970s he was a physical education schoolmaster at Cardinal Vaughan Grammar School, where he taught and coached the future Olympic champion oarsman Martin Cross. Cross identifies Clark as a major influence and inspiration in his memoirs. Subsequently Clark was master in charge of rowing at Latymer Upper School, where among his early protégés there was the double Olympic rowing gold medallist, Andy Holmes. He then became a DT teacher and retired from teaching in the summer of 2010. James Clark also coached at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where his sculler Beryl Mitchell finished sixth in the final. In 1992 he was the chief Olympic coach to the Danish Rowing Team, where his crew finished seventh in the eights.