Nick Green (rower)
The powerhouse oarsman who helped forge Australia's Oarsome Foursome into an unbeatable dynasty, claiming two Olympic golds.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Australian rower·Birthday: October 4·Generation X
Biography
Nick Green's name is etched in Australian sporting lore as a cornerstone of one of rowing's most dominant crews. Born in 1967, he rose to prominence in the early 1990s as part of the coxless four famously dubbed the 'Oarsome Foursome'. With Green in the boat, the crew transformed from a talented group into a relentless winning machine. They captured the world's imagination by snatching gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, defending their title triumphantly four years later in Atlanta—a rare feat of Olympic repetition. His career, spanning from 1990 to 1998, was marked by four World Championship titles, cementing the crew's legacy. After retiring his oar, Green smoothly transitioned into sports administration, bringing his elite athletic insight to leadership roles, most notably as the Chief Executive of Cycling Australia, where he applied lessons from the water to the track.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Nick was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Nick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won Olympic gold medals in the men's coxless four at both the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games.
- Secured four World Championship titles as a member of the Australian coxless four.
- Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to sport as a gold medallist.
Did You Know?
The 'Oarsome Foursome' was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1999.
After rowing, he completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
He served as the Chef de Mission for the Australian team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“The boat doesn't move unless all four blades are in the water together.”
