Polly Ann M. Swann (born 5 June 1988) is a British rower and a member of the Great Britain Rowing Team.British Rowing – Profile of Polly Swann She is a former World and European champion in the women's coxless pairs, having won the 2013 World Rowing Championships at Chungju in Korea, and the 2014 European Rowing Championships at Belgrade, Serbia with her partner Helen Glover. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won a silver medal in the women's eight.
In the 2020 coronavirus pandemic she took a break from rowing to work as a doctor at St John's Hospital, Livingston.
In 2021 she regained the European Coxless Pair title in Varese, Italy, with Helen Glover. She and Glover finished fourth in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Early life Polly Swann is the elder of two children born to Sally and David Swann, a doctor. She was born in Lancaster, England, but when she was three weeks old the family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she was raised and educated. She attended George Heriot's School where, at the age of 14, she started rowing on the Union Canal. She went on to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh until taking a sabbatical in 2010 to concentrate on rowing. In 2013 she studied for a degree in global health policy at the University of London.The Herald, Scotland. Sunday Herald. 16 June 2013, Polly's pulling power by Susan Swarbrick
Career 2009 At the European University Sports Association (EUSA) Championships Swann won a gold medal in the women's pair and a silver medal in the women's eight.
She represented Scotland at the Home International Regatta held at Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre, England, winning gold medals in both the women's pair and the women's eight.
2010 In 2010, she rowed in the quadruple sculls at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Brest, Belarus and finished fourth. This success gave her the impetus to take a sabbatical from her University Medical Degree course, to move to Henley and concentrate full-time on rowing.The Herald, Scotland. 25 May 2012, Swann takes to the water in quest for gold, by Richard Winton
She won gold in the 'Under 23 quadruple sculls' at Amsterdam International Regatta in June.
At the Henley Women's Regatta in June she won the Avril Vellacott Cup for Elite Coxless Fours.
She was a member of the Scotland Team for the Commonwealth Rowing Championships in Welland, Canada.
2011 Swann was a member of the women's eight at the 2011 European Rowing Championships at Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where they finished fourth.
At the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials at Eton/Dorney, Swann was teamed with Monica Relph in the women's coxless pair and finished fifth.
At the Henley Royal Regatta she reached the final of the Remenham Challenge Cup, where the GB Senior Women's eight were defeated by Princeton Training Center, U.S.A.Henley Royal Regatta, 2011 results – Remenham Challenge Cup
2012 Swann and Jo Cook finished fourth in the women's pairs at the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials at Eton Dorney in March. Back injury contributed to her missing selection for the Olympics rowing team.BBC, Sport, Rowing, 28 June 2013, Polly Swann: Helen Glover's partner uncertain of boat for Rio
2013 Teamed with Helen Glover in the women's coxless pair under the tutelage of Robin Williams, Swann completed a clean sweep of three victories at the World Rowing Cup, winning gold at Penrith Lakes, Australia in March; Eton Dorney, London in June; and Lucerne Rotsee in July.
In July 2013, at the Henley Royal Regatta she teamed up with Victoria Meyer-Laker, Frances Houghton and Helen Glover to win the Princess Grace Challenge Cup for women's quadruple scull. Competing as Leander Club and Minerva Bath Rowing Club they completed the final course in 6 minutes 59 seconds.Henley Royal Regatta, Official results, 2013
On 31 August, teamed with Helen Glover in the women's coxless pair, she became the world champion at the 2013 World Rowing Championships at Chungju in the Republic of Korea. They completed the final in 7 mins 22.82 secs, finishing ahead of Roxana Cogianu and Nicoleta Albu of Romania, and having overhauled the American boat which had led briefly in the early stages.World Rowing. 2013 World Championships at Chungju, KoreaBritish Rowing. 31 August 2013. Gold for Glover-Swann, GB Rowing Team men's quad make history – Race reports
In December 2013 Glover and Swann were voted as 'Team of the Year' by the SportsSister organisation, additionally Glover won the 'Readers Choice' vote. Glover and Swann also received the chairman's award from the Sports Journalists' Association (SJA).SportsisterSports Journalists Association
2014 On 19 April 2014 Swann was teamed with Jessica Eddie for the women's pair at the British rowing trials at Caversham, where they finished 1.14 seconds behind Helen Glover and Heather Stanning.BBC, Sport – Rowing. 19 April 2014. Heather Stanning & Helen Glover reunite to win British rowing trials By Lawrence BarrettoBritish Rowing. 19 April 2014. Trio of Olympic Champions amongst six title winners at GB Rowing Team Trials In May, Swann was selected to partner Helen Glover in the women's coxless pair at the European Rowing Championships at Ada Ciganlija, Belgrade on 30 May.BBC Sport, 14 May 2014, Heather Stanning backed for quick return despite European absence, By Lawrence Barretto In the heat they set a new European best time of 7 minutes 9 seconds, and in the final on 1 June they lowered it to 7 minutes 3.62 seconds, finishing 5 seconds ahead of the reigning European champion Cristina Grigoras and Laura Oprea of Romania.GB Rowing, 1 June 2014, European Championships – Men's four and women's pair stand out in Serbia BBC Olympic Sports- Rowing. 1 June 2014 European Rowing Championships 2014: Great Britain win two goldsWorld Rowing.com, 1 June 2014. European Championships – A European Champs of Best Times
2016 She won a silver medal in the women's eight at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
2019 Having taken time away from rowing to complete her medical studies at the University of Edinburgh, Swann returned to international competition after being selected in the W4- for the Poznań World Cup in June 2019.
At the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim, Austria, her team won the "B" final of the coxless 4 (W4-) and qualified for the 2020 Olympics.
2020 During the coronavirus pandemic Swann took a break from rowing to work as a Junior Doctor at St John's Hospital, Livingston.BBC, 22 July 2021, by Thomas Duncan, Sport, Polly Swann: Olympic rower on working the wards, training in her shed & unfinished business
2021 At the 2021 European Rowing Championships in Varese, Italy, she won the gold medal in the coxless pair (W2-) teamed with Helen Glover. They completed the final in 7 mins 2.73 seconds, eventually overhauling the Romanian crew of Adriana Ailincai and Iuliana Buhus by 0.29 seconds.
In June 2021, Glover and Swann were named as the women's pair for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, making Glover the first mother to row for Britain.Helen Glover insists ‘more to come’ after historic appearance in rowing pairs, The Guardian, 24 July 2021 On 28 July they qualified for the A Final by finishing second in their semi-final. In the final on 29 July they finished in fourth position, completing in 6 minutes 54.96 seconds, which was 4.77 seconds behind the Gold medalists, Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler of New Zealand and 2.86 seconds behind the bronze medalists Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens of Canada.World Rowing. 2020 Olympic Games Regatta. Wednesday 28 July Results Afterwards Glover said "The reward is knowing that we crossed the line giving it our all. The frustration would have been coming away from thinking we had more and we didn’t."The Guardian, 29 July 2021, Sport, No fairytale finish but Helen Glover focuses on reward of giving her all, by Andy Bull
See also Rowing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's coxless pair
References
External links
Polly Swann at British Rowing