10 February 2026

By Tim Koch

Tim Koch collates an outpouring of sorrow and respect.

From emails sent to me:

Annamarie Phelps (Former Chair of British Rowing): So sad, but a great obituary for a wonderful contributor to our noble sport… Chris always liked to think of himself as an outsider – but he was very much part of the informal establishment of rowing. He and Di (Ellis) had a wonderfully respectful but adversarial relationship. I will miss his wit and knowing, smiling face terribly.

Lin Clark (Former GB Rower): Chris was a truly wonderful, passionate and principled person, a one-off in the world of rowing. Before Beryl and I won at the Hazlewinkle World Rowing Championships in 1985, no British women had ever been World Champions. Chris had followed and supported us from the beginning and always wrote as positive a review as possible on our journey to win Gold for GB.

In the 1985 Worlds, when we won our heat and got straight through to the finals, Chris was so thrilled he took us out for a fancy meal in a flash hotel. We ate huge steaks and promptly got constipated. It was a frightening time, we were so naive about diet in those days. Chris felt guilty and we felt stupid and worried we wouldn’t make weight for the final. That steak nearly cost us the World Championship. but it all turned out OK in the end as we made the weight and won. I always felt Chris was part of our journey. He wasn’t a rowing correspondent and critic like the others, he was an integral supportive part of the GB rowing journey to success. I shall miss him.

Tim Crooks (Former GB Rower): Chris Dodd was a major force for good in rowing as well as a good friend to me. He was reporting for the Guardian sports pages while I was in Bob Janousek’s squad working towards the 1976 Montreal Games. Bob had picked a group of fourteen men to produce an eight and a four for the Olympics. We had three exceptional seasons, ’74 ’75 and ’76, and during that time Chris mixed with us, the crew members, at regattas both home and abroad. He showed interest in our training, equipment and our lives, and because he was genial and supportive, he became our friend. His newspaper articles were both insightful and engaging.

He wrote many books about rowing, but Pieces of Eight charted the recovery of British rowing during the 1970s, and particularly the story of Janousek’s three year eight which finished with the silver medal in Montreal. Chris discussed those three years over pub lunches with each member of the eight, and this enabled him to write the inside story using many of our quotations. 

Baillieu and Hart won the silver in the double sculls during an earlier final in Montreal, and Pieces of Eight placed the two silver medals into context. It should be remembered that in 1976 only one Olympic rowing medal had been won since 1948, a period of nearly 30 years.

When I came to write my book in 2017, Chris Dodd was generous in allowing me to use material from his excellent Pieces of Eight. This was an invaluable source for my Driven by Demons: Bipolar Olympian.

His loss is felt keenly by us all.

Robert Treharne Jones (Commentator and journalist): I first met Chris in 1982 in Lion Meadow (Henley)… I was just getting involved in various big things in rowing… I went to Lucerne and also Mannheim for the first time… Of course, Chris was very much part of the scene at all these events so he helped me get media accreditation… One of the great things about Chris was that… he would always know of a quirky local bar or restaurant unknown to the rest of us…  

By 1986, things were getting together for the World Rowing Championships to be held at Nottingham. Chris got a late night call from Peter Coni asking him to act as press chief for the Worlds. Chris refused several times, Coni asked him to sleep on it, Chris said that he would but would not change his mind. However, the next morning’s post brought a bulletin containing the announcement of Chris’ appointment. Chris later called the experience of being press chief, “one of the best things that ever happened to me…”

At the ’86 Worlds, Chris got sponsorship from British Telecom who put in all the phone lines for free… He also had lots of typewriters made available to the press in those pre-personal computer days. However, Chris was the first member of the press corps to get a little Tandy portable computer with a memory of about 1,000 words, popular with journalists. He also invested in an acoustic coupler to attach the early laptop to a telephone handset and send copy down the phone line.

Dominik Keller: I am much saddened by the news Tim Koch had to pass on. I got to know Chris better when we initiated the book on the History of Rowing my father (Thomas “Thomi” Keller) had planned before his untimely death. Later we worked together on the Thomas Keller library in the River and Rowing Museum in Henley, which has now also had a sad ending. We always met during the Lucerne Regatta and on the initiative of Matt (Smith) went into a next book project on Thor (Nilsen). The last we did together is a small library at the Thomas Keller room at the Grasshopper Boathouse. Last time in Lucerne I could see that the illness was taking an increasing toll, but Chris was as witty and poignant and a bit ironic as ever – great writer, great history, great mind, a true loss for rowing and the caring of its history.  

Howard Jacobs (CUBC 1973-74, former Chairman of the Boat Race Company): Memory is fallible, but I think that I first met Chris outside the then Ibis Boathouse just after the 1973 Boat Race, damp but elated, Cambridge having beaten Oxford convincingly, to the surprise of (most of) the rowing Press. Chris and John Rodda, another distinguished sports journalist, had called it correctly. (In those long gone days there was so much Press coverage that it was a good laugh to try to hide from the Press launch)!

Chris was certainly a Boat Race fixture for me from then until ill-health made the trip from Dulwich to Putney impractical.  Whether there or at Henley – our paths crossed at the Museum as well as at the Regatta – or latterly at Rocca in Dulwich Village, Chris was always good company, knowledgeable and fair-minded.

Michael Dover (Publisher): Thanks Tim, another good man gone. He was one of the great and the good who make a difference. He wrote the LRC book for which I was the project manager. A pleasure to work with, immaculate (and very readable) copy, delivered on time. Nothing was too much trouble re endless captions to the many pics. He had a leisurely air about him which belied the graft and the deep knowledge of his subject. Being a very social man, he tried in vain to get me to join the Watermen but we enjoyed many good lunches – I was a book publisher for many years and he liked to try out his latest ideas over a good lunch. I shall miss him.

Peter Mallory (Rowing historian and author): What to say about Chris Dodd? As Tim Koch has so well described, Chris’s CV speaks for itself. His books will live on. His example will continue to guide us. What we all now will miss with his passing is Chris Dodd the friend and colleague.

I first met Chris in Mystic, Connecticut in February of I think it was 2006. Back then, a small, informal group of rowing historians put on an annual conference on rowing history, one year at Mystic Seaport and the next at River & Rowing Museum in Henley, England. This self-proclaimed “Friends of Rowing History” was made up of Tom Weil, the greatest collector of rowing memorabilia the world has seen, Hart Perry, renowned coach at Kent School, member of FISA and America’s first Henley Steward, Bill Miller, legendary American oarsman and father of one of the world’s earliest and best rowing websites, rowinghistory.net . . . and Chris. They called themselves the Friends of Rowing History.

I had already begun writing The Sport of Rowing, and Tom and Hart invited me to come east from California for that year’s conference and arrive a day early to describe to the Friends my research and explore ways that they could offer guidance and support. Within hours of our arrival, heavy snow started accumulating, and before we knew it the conference had been cancelled, and the five of us were marooned in a white winter paradise for a long weekend of the most wonderful conversations on history that I have ever had, before or since. Before I knew it, I was invited to become an official member of this very unofficial group.

Over the next two decades, Chris and I had many occasions to interact. Chris reviewed all 2500 pages of The Sport of Rowing and arranged for River & Rowing Museum to publish it. When prior commitments prevented him from participating in the writing of Leander Club, the First 200 Years, Chris nominated me to take his place. Over the years we would meet in New York, in London and in Henley, but not nearly as often as I would have liked, an ocean laying between our homes. I always looked forward to Chris’s occasional emails and the packages which would arrive with a copy of his latest book. The last time Susan and I saw Chris was when he and Liz hosted an elegant formal luncheon in the tent just north of the Stewards’ Enclosure. Of that snowbound group in Mystic only two of us now remain, Bill Miller and myself, but I will always be able to close my eyes, hear Chris’s voice and see that whimsical expression on his face and twinkle in his eye that told me he had again found irony and humor in world about us. Rest in Peace, my good friend.

Andy Trotman (Leander): Chris was a very good man and achieved wonderful things for the rowing community. He was a wonderful writer, and always good company.

Phil Mangelsdorf (President, Rowing South Australia) and Ann Koch: Sad news. A great rowing man and outstanding rowing journalist. Condolences.

Julie Lithgow (Clerk to the Watermen’s Company): Chris…leaves a significant legacy of influential words and friendships… He will be remembered for his generosity, encouragement, and passion for accuracy, his impact endures through his writings and the lives he touched.

Thomas Wigley (Campaigner for a plaque to boatbuilder George Pocock in Eton): I met Chris electronically, in the modern way, in pursuit of Pocock. He was generous with his time, advice and extensive contact network. He kindly invited me to join his Dulwich-based ‘Lunch Bunch’ at the Rocca restaurant in Dulwich where all things rowing were on the conversational table.  I was shocked and utterly dismayed to hear of Chris’s passing.  He had a rare passion for our sport of rowing and I will miss him. Who now shall grasp the rudder lines?  Maybe the CDLB (Chris Dodd’s Lunch Bunch) will convene at Rocca South Kensington in his honour and memory?

Hélène Rémond (French rowing journalist): Chris was a real gentleman and a scholar. When I was writing my master’s thesis, I quickly came across Chris’ books about the Boat Race. Chris welcomed me at the River & Rowing Museum in Henley for an interview in 2000. I remember he compared the famous Oxford and Cambridge boats to two flies walking up the wall. Later, for the Boat Race in 2010, we met at the Press Office at the Thames Rowing Club. He was a discreet and very kind gentleman. I am happy to have known him, alongside other rowing enthusiasts.

Comments on heartheboatsing on Instagram:

Tony Ward (Member of the 1987 Oxford crew, the year of the so-called mutiny): Such a lovely man and a great writer on rowing especially. His care and integrity shone through. He stood out as a journalist who made the effort to talk to everyone and understand what was really going on. This first became apparent to me aged 19 in the 1987 Oxford dispute when so many journalists were just writing the story they wanted to write – Chris made the effort to speak to all the people involved and dig into the nuances of the story.

Gavin Stewart (Member of the 1987 Oxford crew): I’d completely second this, Tony (above). Both in ‘87 and after, Chris was one of the best at genuinely listening to rowers and trying to get beneath the surface of the easy headline. The sport also owes him for his books and for his role in the River & Rowing Museum… I’ll miss him… RIP

Donald Legget (Veteran CUBC coach): A friend who was always interested in rowing and its history. Rest now in peace, Chris…

Sue Bushnell (Daughter of 1948 Olympic double sculls winner, Bert): I am greatly saddened by this news. Chris was a wonderful writer as well as a thoroughly likeable bloke

Molly Bushnell (Grand-daughter of 1948 Olympic double sculls winner, Bert): This is terribly sad news for friends, comrades and rowers alike. I know how valued he was for all at HTBS and us Bushnells send our thoughts to you all as well as to Chris’s family.

Tizzy Burnell (Daughter of 1948 Olympic double sculls winner and journalist, Richard Burnell): What a sad day – the last of the Rowing Press heavies … exactly 31 years to the day from my father’s death. RIP Chris … have fun with Richard, Desmond & Geoffrey up there.

the_third_boat (US podcast): I’m sorry to hear.  I’ve been reading a lot of his work recently and he had a brilliant sense of humor.

Aquil H. Abdullah (US Olympian and Henley Steward): Sad news indeed.

David Gillard (CUBC and GB oarsman): A lovely man and a big loss to our community. RIP Chris.

Barbara Wilson: (Leander Hon Secretary, former OUBC administrator): That is so sad to hear. He had amazing knowledge of all things rowing. RIP Chris.

William O’Chee (OULRC and BNC, rowing historian): The great gentleman of the water, and an inspiration to rowing historians everywhere. Those who knew him loved him and were happy to walk in his shadow.

William also posted on Linkedin: In mourning for the grand master of rowing history, the late Chris Dodd, who passed away on Sunday evening. The historian of the Boat Race, London Rowing Club, and Leander Club, he will be deeply missed by all those who love rowing. He was also a charming and generous friend. William received a comment from Pelham Higgins:

Pelham Higgins: I will always be indebted to Chris because he was the one who put me in touch with people in Russia to help me find Vyacheslav Ivanov after my uncle, Stuart Mackenzie, passed away in late 2020. As a result I tracked down Ivanov in Moscow in 2023 and remain in contact with his wife to this day. She sent me an English copy of Ivanov’s autobiography which made me realize the close friendship that Ivanov had with my uncle, something not many people ever realized.

Paul Thompson (International coach): How sad, such a wonderful man and extraordinary writer and historian. RIP Chris.

Martin Gough (Rowing journalist): Sad news. Chris was the Regatta magazine editor who published my first rowing writing in the late ‘90s. He seemed to always be lurking in a corner with a wry smile, some simple advice, a novel take on the news at hand and a decent story with some tangential relevance. What press boxes remain will be poorer without him.

Nigel Longley (Frankfurt Germania): Oh no. He will be sorely missed by the rowing family. Sincere condolences from Germany to his family and friends. RIP Chris.

Greg Denieffe (Rowing historian): RIP Chris. Irreplaceable doesn’t do justice to your loss.

Kate O’Sullivan (Deputy Chair of British Rowing): Very sad to read this. Chris was an exceptional writer and person. RIP Chris.

Jonathan Hill: Oh, what sad news indeed, this is the end of the line for the genre of writers dedicated to the rowing world, one who could write with style, accuracy and perspective and disguised humour.

Linkedin:

The Boat Race Company: We would like to extend our condolences to the family of Chris Dodd, who has recently passed away. An integral member of the Boat Race community, who for so many years reported on The Boat Race as a journalist, he was a pioneering figure in British rowing and a driving force behind the River and Rowing Museum in Henley.

Peter Haining (World Lwt Sculling Champion 1993, 94, 95): This is really sad news. Chris was a colossus as an author and as a journalist on both domestic and international fronts. For an athlete, he was a steady chat over a coffee and, no matter how busy, he shared his time. Condolences to the family and the world wide rowing audience. We have lost a city father of the sport.

Steve O’Connor (Leander General Manager) posted a video tribute on Linkedin. These comments followed in response: 

Paul Burgess: Sad to hear of Chris Dodd’s passing. A big name in rowing and also the River & Rowing Museum. 

James Felt: He will be very sadly missed by so many.

Raymond Blake: Really sorry to hear of Chris Dodd’s death. I remember him coming to Dublin to meet me about (Trinity College, Dublin’s) competing at Henley, researching his HRR history. We remained friendly for years afterwards. Always enjoyed chatting with him at Henley. He ‘knew his onions’. 

Tony Hamilton: Legend. Thanks for sharing and condolences.

Bryan Kitch (Rowing Related): Really sorry to hear about Chris Dodd – a giant in our sport. Looking at my copy of Water Boiling Aft right now.

Facebook:

Nottingham County Rowing Association: RIP Chris Dodd, an alumni of Nottingham University. I never met Mr Dodd but always scoured The Guardian for his rowing correspondence. A small story from 1985. Mark Lees sent the Trent Poly 4 to Chester Regatta to race Barclays Bank (a Brit crew HRR) and a fast college crew from UCNW. We raced back to back six times (1,500m match racing) to win the Senior A and Elite Fours events on the same day. I don’t know how he heard about it but he wrote us up in the Manchester Edition of the Guardian in glowing terms. I’m sure the Internationals in this group got far greater coverage and accolades from the great man.

British Rowing’s FB post received the following comments:

Robin Williams: (GB Coach): A true friend of our wonderful sport. Sadly missed.

Toby Garbett: (Former GB Rower): A fabulous chap he very kindly rented me a room at a very favourable rate in his house in Henley on Thames during my rowing career.

James Elder (Archivist, Thames RC): A grievous loss. We have been so lucky within rowing to have a chronicler who cared deeply about the history of our sport, was competent to do the hard work of research but could also really write.

I would encourage everyone to seek out any of his books – perhaps most especially his history of Henley and his The Story of World Rowing.

Water Boiling Aft almost made a TRC member like me care about LRC. Almost.

We have virtually all of his books in the TRC library – although I’m still on the lookout for a copy of his biography of Thor Nilsen.

Proud to have known him.

Ian Hazel-Gant: Had the privilege of inviting this remarkable gentleman to sit and join us during HRR when I was having supper at Leander with friends. He was on his own and hoping for a table and there wasn’t one, so we invited him to join us. What ensued was a fantastic dinner and stories of his career but most of all was his kindness and grace. We parted feeling we had really met one of rowing greats.

James Martinez (Former US International): A great man, author and organizer. I met him in 1996 at the HRR. He had such a welcoming and inquisitive spirit.

Paul Taylor: Wonderful guy, great historian, fantastic supporter of British Rowing and Leander. R.I.P.

Ali Gill (Former GB Rower): Very sad news. Very generous spirited man with such deep engagement in rowing and the rowing community.

Netty Rawlings: Had the privilege of working with Chris as a fellow Curator at the River & Rowing Museum – such a fun and lovely colleague – great times. Rest easy now.

Mark Nixon: A sad loss Requiescat In Pace.

Ryszard Stadniuk (Former Polish International): RIP.

Jonathon Carr-Brown: Great guy.

Ian Simpson: One of my favourite memories of Chris, from when I was press officer for the GB team in the ’80s, was when he gave me a tour of the Guardian…

Comment on HTBS: 

Caroline Turnbull (Wayfarers): The rowing world has lost a unique talent. When we organised the FISA tour in 2003 Chris wrote an erudite and entertaining description of the route for the handbook which we issued to the participants so his words were spread around 95 rowers from 18 countries. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I sent it to anyone else who might like to read it. But my favourite memory of Chris was when we were on the FISA tour in Vermont, USA, and were caught in a hurricane. As we huddled round the fire back at the YMCA we wrote silly songs and generally had a good laugh at what could have been a disaster. Especially as no alcohol was allowed! RIP Chris, your words will live on even though you are gone.

On “X” (formerly Twitter):

Sports Journalists’ Association: Remembering Chris Dodd, 1942-2026. Chris was one of rowing’s most respected journalists, authors, historians and editors. “He understood that rowing is shaped as much by those who record it as by those who pull the oars.”

Mark Davies (Interim CEO of British Rowing, previously Chair): Among the many things he did, Chris Dodd’s unpaid research over a 3-year period is what created the complete list of GB Rowing alumni which allowed us to issue lapel pins to all caps and recognise them as a single GBRT club.

Fatsculler (Daniel Spring, rowing pundit): Such sad news that one of the truly great writers in the sport of rowing, Chris Dodd, has passed away.

Liam Gorman (Irish rowing journalist): Very glad to have known Chris. As we say here, a lovely man.

David Biddulph (International umpire): Very sad news. A rich life well summed up by Tim. 

The Rowing Voice. Rachel Quarrell (Daily Telegraph and Row360). Saddened and low to hear tonight about Chris Dodd leaving us last Sunday. Farewell to a mentor, friend, and one of rowing’s greats, a quiet but sharply perceptive writer. Got the news earlier while at choir singing Adele’s “When we were young”. He would have appreciated it.

The websites of both British Rowing and Leander have tributes.

The Guardian will have an online obituary soon and a print version will follow.