Ondřej Synek

Ondřej Synek ( [ˈondr̝ɛj ˈsɪnɛk]; born 13 October 1982 in Stará Boleslav) is a Czech rower. He is a four-times World Champion in Single Sculls, winning in the 2010 World Rowing Championships, 2013 World Rowing Championships, 2014 World Rowing Championships and 2015 World Rowing Championships. He won Olympic silver medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In Beijing he came in as the chief rival of Mahe Drysdale, but despite Drysdale coming down with a painful stomach flu and falling in the final stages of the final to bronze, he was upset for the gold by defending Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte, who Synek had regularly been beating the previous couple years. In London he came in co favored for gold with Drysdale after trading gold and silver at the previous 2 World Championships, but fell short to Drysdale in the final.

In Rio after having won 3 straight World Championships since London, he came in as the clear favorite and had a stated desire to badly want the Olympic Gold he narrowly missed in both Beijing and Rio his quest for Olympic Gold failed for a 3rd consecutive time in Rio as he took bronze in the single sculls behind both Drysdale and the surprising Damir Martin. He is as yet unsure whether he will take a final attempt at the Olympic Gold in Tokyo or not. As a 4 time World Champion in single sculls, with 9 World Championship single scull medals, and 3 single scull Olympic medals, he is the most successful single sculler in history to not yet have an Olympic Gold.