3 mins
Liam Corrigan
Dual Nationality
USA/CAN
Height
196cm
School/high school/secondary school
Lyme -Old Lyme High School
Club
OUBC
Undergraduate/graduate
Graduate
Previous university
Harvard
Undergraduate course
Joint Bachelor in Physics and Astrophysics
Graduate course
Master of Science in Financial Economics
Oxford college
Oriel
First rowing club
Blood Street Sculls
Why are you studying your course?
I am pursuing a MSc in Financial Economics as I love the overlap between technical quantitative skills and fast paced decision making in a real-world environment that finance provides. Ultimately, I hope to develop the methods that I learn in this course into the basis of my career.
What is the most interesting part of your course?
So far, I have been fascinated with the asset pricing module of the course, in which we are learning techniques to price real world assets given some very fundamental mathematical assumptions.
Year you first started rowing
2012
Why/how did you get into rowing?
I went to a small high school in the US and my basketball coach also happened to be my rowing coach. He saw that I was tall, had decent work ethic, and probably was destined to play in the NBA so he convinced me to try rowing in the spring, and I basically stuck with it from there.
Name of first rowing coach
Louis Zubek
Who is your rowing idol?
This stings a bit, given that I lost to him this summer at the Olympics, but definitely Hamish Bond.
How do you balance rowing and academic life?
It’s a tough balance, but the key factor is time management. You have to be efficient with everything you do and you have be very deliberate where and with whom you spend your time.
Who would be your dream team eight to row with from everyone in the history of rowing?
Pete Cipollone, Bryan Volpenhein, Drew Ginn, Giuseppe Abagnale, Matthew Pinsent, Richard Schmidt, Martin Sinkovic, Liam Corrigan, Hamish Bond
What is your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far?
I started rowing in 2012 and have been rowing at international level (juniors, then U23s, then seniors) since 2014. My biggest achievement (but also disappointment) is competing at the Olympics and placing 4th.
Your favourite race so far?
Head Of The Charles 2019
What is the best place you have ever rowed?
Chula Vista, CA
Where would be your dream place to row?
Somewhere in Austria with mountains
Obviously, there are long hours and hard work, what inspires you to keep rowing?
Mostly the people I meet in the sport, who are some of the best people and some of my best friends.
What do you feel is your greatest achievement through rowing, be it accolades or something more personal?
Making it to the Olympics.
What is your favourite sports quote?
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
How would you describe the sport to a non-rower?
Pain
What is your favourite movie about sports? Why?
Moneyball -I love the numbers!
What has been your most embarrassing/funny rowing moment?
In 2014 at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, our pair finished 10 seconds behind the second to last place boat in the wrong lane, over a 1000m race. Thankfully that was the heat and we managed to turn it around before the final, but that was a tough day.
How does being an athlete make you a better person?
I think it teaches you how to work as part of a larger group and achieve ends above yourself.
Why do you think someone outside of the sport can relate to your career as an athlete?
I think everyone can relate to the fact that it takes a very long time to get good at something. After nearly 10 years of roughly twice a day, every day, I’m almost there now, but still not quite.
What are your strengths, as a person and as an athlete?
As an athlete, I think my strength is my evenness, for lack of a better word. I’m not the strongest, or the tallest, or the most technical rower, but I think I’m good enough at each of these, so in aggregate I am good.
What do your friends think of your athletic success? How do you handle missing out on activities with friends because of your athletic schedule?
I think most of my friends understand the commitments of rowing. Certainly, the friends that I really want to spend time with understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.
Do you think you can win the Boat Race?
Of course.
Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing?
When I can find time I like rock climbing, playing the piano, and reading Russian literature.