Rowing-Parkinson steps down as British Rowing CEO after poor Olympics display

FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Rowing - Men's Eight - Final A - Sea Forest Waterway, Tokyo, Japan - July 30, 2021. Coxwain Henry Fieldman of Britain, Joshua Bugajski of Britain, Jacob Dawson of Britain, Thomas George of Britain, Mohamed Sbihi of Britain, Charles Elwes of Britain, Oliver Wynne-Griffith of Britain, James Rudkin of Britain and Tom Ford of Britain REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

(Reuters) - Andy Parkinson stepped down as chief executive of British Rowing on Friday, nearly two months after Britain's disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympics.

Britain won only two medals in Tokyo, bringing home a silver in men's quadruple sculls and bronze in the men's eight competition. It was the first time Britain's rowers failed to win a gold medal since 1980.

Britain's dominant run at the Games dried up as they finished 14th in the sport's medal table, with New Zealand topping the Olympic rowing medal table for the first time.

British Rowing said Parkinson, who held the post for six years, had resigned to "explore new opportunities".

"I'm looking forward to a new challenge and wanted to give a successor time to input into, and importantly own, plans for the next investment cycle and beyond," Parkinson said in a statement https://www.britishrowing.org/2021/09/british-rowing-statement-11.

"I also have every confidence in the team, rowers, coaches and support staff and I fully expect to be celebrating, with the whole nation, many medal winning moments in 2024."

The next edition of the Summer Olympics will be held in Paris in 2024.

(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)

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