Robert Marland

Biography

It was at Seoul 1988 where Robert Marland made his Olympic debut finishing ninth in the coxed fours. He was a World Championship medalist when, as a member of the Canadian eights crew at Barcelona 1992, he won Olympic gold. In the Olympic eights final, the Canadians edged ahead at the half-way mark and held on to win by less than a foot over Romania in the closest rowing final in Olympic history – 0.14 seconds. Alongside Marland was Darren Barber, Andy Crosby, Michael Forgeron Robert Marland, Derek Porter, Michael Rascher, Bruce Robertson, John Wallace and coxswain Terry Paul.

A two-time World Championships medalist as a member of the eights crew that chased Germany to back-to-back silver medals in 1990 and 1991, Marland also competed at Worlds in 1986 (eighth in coxed pairs) and 1987 (fourth in coxed fours). He won a coxed fours bronze medal at the 1987 Summer Universiade. A switch to single sculls proved unsuccessful when he only made the “D” final at the 1989 World Championships. 

Graduating from Lorne Park Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, Marland started rowing as a senior in high school becoming more competitive when met up with legendary rowing coach Fred Loek at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. In 1985, he won the eights Ontario University Championships and Canada’s Henley Royal Regatta. Upon retiring from competitive rowing in 1989, Marland pursued a successful career as a real estate agent, settling in the Ottawa area with his wife Jane Forsyth and three daughters.

Marland was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1994, Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame in 2017.