Spencer Turrin

Spencer Turrin did not let the disappointment of missing out on a medal at the 2016 Olympic Games get in the way of his quest to claim gold.

The St Joseph's College product first began rowing at school and was a regular member in the programs First VIII. 

After years of competition at youth level including the U23 World Championships, Spencer debuted for Australia in the men's four at the World Rowing Cup I which was held in Sydney. The crew reached the final of the cup and crossed the line in second place to earn a silver medal. From then on Spencer would become a regular in the men's four, between 2013 and 2015.

In the lead up to the Rio 2016 Olympics, Spencer was paired with Alex Lloyd in the men's pairs. The duo finished in fifth and second at the World Rowing Cups II and III respectively in 2016. After winning their heat in Rio and coming second in the semi-final, the pair struggled in the final, finishing 6th.

Spencer returned to the men's four in 2017 and found immediate success, taking out gold at the World Rowing Cup II. The win marked Australia’s first World Cup win in the men’s boat class in 26 years.

The result marked the beginning of an era of dominance for Australia in the four, with Alex and the team embarking on a dominant 2018 calendar year in which they won both the World Rowing Cup II and III before successfully defending their World Championship title. Their results saw them all rewarded with the World Rowing 2018 Male Crew of the Year Award.

The championship team was broken up in 2019 in an attempt to qualify the men’s pair for the Olympic Games. Spencer alongside Alex Hill claimed the first place at the World Rowing Cup III.

At the 2020 Olympic Games, the championship men's four team reunited and cruised through to the final after finishing first in their heat. History was up against the team as Great Britain had dominated the event for the past five Olympics, winning five gold in a row, while Australia had won three straight silver medals.

However, a powerful race from Spencer and the crew saw the team claim gold by 0.37 seconds ahead of silver medalists Romania. The win came within the ‘hour of power’, a period in which Australia won two gold medals and two bronze medals in rowing, while Arianne Titmus claimed gold in the 200m freestyle.

Spencer continued to race in the men's four throughout 2022 and 2023 with the team sustaining its success from Tokyo. The crew won gold at the World Rowing Cup II in 2022 before four straight second place finishes across various competitions.

Spencer raced in the men's eight at the 2024 World Rowing Cup II and finished in fourth place.