Jessica Morrison

Jessica Morrison received the exciting news of her inclusion in her first Olympic campaign just a fortnight before she raced at Rio’s Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in 2016. The intense training period was a testament to her dedication and hard work. Although the Australian women’s eight crew did not qualify for the A-Final in Brazil, finishing fifth in their heat, Jessica’s Olympic debut was a significant achievement and a stepping stone in her rowing career.

Once returning from Rio, Jessica took an informal sabbatical leave, returning to the rowing arena upon accepting her invitation to Rowing Australia’s National Training Centre in the latter stages of 2018.

Jessica also competed in the women’s pairs in each international regatta of her 2019 season. Paired with Western Australian Annabelle McIntryre, Jessica earned a silver and gold medal at the 2019 World Rowing Cups II and III respectively, while also earning a silver medal at the World Championships.

At her second Olympic Games in Tokyo, Jessica won a gold medal as part of the women’s four alongside Annabelle McIntyre, Rosemary Popa and Lucy Stephan.

The result is one for the history books as the Australians claimed the Olympic title after the boat class was re-introduced to the Games for the first time since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

During an extraordinary period known as the 'hour of power,' Australia’s rowing teams excelled, with the men's and women's fours winning gold and the men's and women's quadruple sculls claiming bronze.

Along with swimmer Ariarne Titmus' gold in the 200m freestyle, this marked the most successful period in Australian Olympic history. Racing in lane three, the women's four held off the Netherlands to win gold in an Olympic best time of six minutes and 15.37 seconds, with a margin of just 0.34 seconds. Despite the physical demands, Jessica and Annabelle McIntyre also competed in the women's pair, finishing fourth in their semi-final and winning the B-Final to place seventh overall.

In recognition of her contributions to the sport, Jessica was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Australia Day Honours.

The following year, she continued her success with Annabelle McIntyre, capturing gold medals at two Rowing World Cups and securing Australia’s spot for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the event. They also earned a silver medal at the 2023 World Rowing Championships.