50 worldwide contenders for 2012: Drew Ginn

Rowing (coxless four)

Australia

Born: 20/11/74

Career highlights

Ginn is a three-time Olympic champion, winning the coxless four in 1996 - where he was part of the original Oarsome Foursome - and the coxless pair in 2004 and 2008.

It was thought that Ginn would defend his pairs title in London but he has returned to the four, saying: "It's been all too long since Australia won the four [1996] and…there's certainly pride across the whole group to rectify that situation. And even better would be for us to do it on the Poms' home soil - that's not lost on us, that's for sure."

Other career

He missed the 2000 Olympics with a prolapsed disc and had surgery to repair nerve damage in his back immediately after returning from Beijing, where he rowed through immense pain to win gold.

Did you know?

He dabbled with a career in cycling, where he showed real promise, winning the time trial at the 2009 Oceania Championships, but returned to rowing in February 2011.