Richard Tonks, New Zealand's acclaimed head coach, has been selected by FISA, the International Rowing Federation, as the 2005 FISA Coach of the Year.
Tonks coached the New Zealand team to a record breaking four gold medals at this year's World Rowing Championships, when the women's double, women's pair, men's pair and men's single sculls all topped the podium on the same day, 3 September 2005 in Gifu, Japan.
In addition to this year's World Championship titles, Tonks coached the Evers-Swindell sisters to their Olympic gold medal in Athens in 2004 and to World Championship golds in 2003 and 2002. He was also the coach behind Rob Waddells Sydney Olympic medal in 2000 as well as his two World Championship titles in 1999 and 1998.
In addition, Tonks can lay claim to a number of other World Championship gold, silver and bronze medals including Philippa Baker and Brenda Lawsons World Championship gold in the women's double sculls back in 1994.
Silver medallist in the 1972 Munich Olympics when he was the stroke of the men's four at the age of 19, Tonks has been involved in rowing since he was 13. He became full time Head Coach of the New Zealand team in 2000 after the Sydney Olympic Games. He is married and has three children and remains a fitness fanatic, still training actively in the gym, on a bike or in his single scull.
The medal will be presented at the Gala Dinner of the 2005 World Rowing Forum in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday 5 November.