29 June 2012

Rob wins four rowing golds

RMIT University research student Robert M Smith recently won four gold medals at the 2012 Australian Masters Rowing Championships at Lake Wendouree, Ballarat.

Rob Smith with his fellow rowing team members

Robert M Smith (centre) and his teammates took home four gold medals.


Mr Smith, a Master student with the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, won the Male Masters C and D, the Male Masters D Eight and Mixed Masters C Eight with his teammates against former Australian Olympic and World Championship representatives.

"Having trained six times a week since February for the championships and knowing how competitive masters' rowing is in Australia I would have been very happy getting just one medal of any colour … but winning four gold is unbelievable," Mr Smith said.

"This achievement is a result of great camaraderie and amazing team work."

Mr Smith is not only an elite rower but an avid cyclist. He is also a member of RMIT's Smart Sports Equipment Initiative team and an important part of the development of the smart cricket ball and the smart AFL ball.

Professor Frank K Fuss, the program leader of SportzEdge within RMIT's Platform Technologies Research Institute, said: "On behalf of the School and the SportzEdge team, I would like to congratulate Rob on his outstanding success at the Australian Masters Rowing Championships."

Mr Smith's research has included contributing significantly to the project of the development of a biofeedback system designed to allow athletes to hear their own drag force in the wind tunnel to assist them in optimising their racing position.

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