Ria Thompson

Raised in Melbourne, Ria Thompson attended Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, where she took up rowing. She began contesting underage national titles at the Australian Rowing Championships in Melbourne Rowing Club colours from 2016.

That year, she won the U21 Australian Championship in the single scull. In 2017, Ria secured second place in the U23 national championships for both the double and quad sculls.

In 2018, now representing Mercantile, she dominated the U23 national titles, winning in all three sculling boat classes. By 2019, racing for UQBC, Ria claimed U23 national titles in the single scull and as the stroke of the quad scull, while also placing second in the U23 double scull.

Ria's international debut came in 2018, when she was named to the U23 women’s double scull for the Junior World Championships, finishing fifth in the medal race.

In 2019, Ria was selected as Australia's women's sculling representative for the World U23 Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, where she clinched a gold medal and an U23 world championship title. Going along in fourth place for the first 1250m of the race, she surged past the leaders, overtaking American sculler Emily Kallfelz in the final 40m.

At the final Olympic qualification regatta in 2021, Ria, alongside crewmates Harriet Hudson, Caitlin Cronin, and Rowena Meredith secured gold in the women’s quadruple scull, earning an Olympic berth for Tokyo 2020.

Training out of Rowing Australia’s National Training Centre, Ria's preparation culminated in a memorable Olympic debut. The crew, composed of fellow debutants Rowena, Harriet and Caitlin won a bronze medal in emphatic fashion.

They earned their place in the final via the repechage after finishing fourth in their heat. Competing against the USA, Italy, Great Britain, and New Zealand, the crew needed a top-two finish to progress to the A-Final. They finished first, booking their place in the Olympic final.

In March 2023, Ria was again selected with Harriet, Caitlin and Rowena as Australia's quad sculls crew for the 2023 international season. Competing at the Rowing World Cup II in Varese, Italy, they competed in the B final and finished eighth place overall.