New Zealander · Napier, New Zealand · Born 1 March 1987New Zealand rower who won Olympic gold in the single sculls at the Tokyo Games after finishing agonizingly outside the medals at her two previous Olympics, becoming the only New Zealand woman to win the event.
Emma Kimberley Twigg was born on 1 March 1987 in Napier, New Zealand, and was introduced to rowing by her father, a coach at the Hawke's Bay Rowing Club, and her brother Jamie, who also rowed. She competed in the junior eight at the 2003 World Junior Championships before switching to single sculls in 2005 and winning gold at the 2007 World U23 Championships by three boat lengths. Twigg made her Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games, finishing ninth, before agonizingly narrow fourth-place finishes at both the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics - just outside the medals both times. Between those Games she became World Champion in 2014 in Amsterdam, completing a rare trifecta of junior, U23, and senior world titles in the single sculls. Disappointed after Rio, she retired from rowing to complete a FIFA Master's degree in sport management and work for the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland, before her passion for the sport drew her back to training in 2018. At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, Twigg finally delivered on her potential, leading from the front to win gold in the single sculls in an Olympic-best time of 7:13.97, finishing 3.42 seconds clear of the field - becoming New Zealand's 48th Olympic gold medalist and the only New Zealand woman ever to win the event. She added silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics, her fifth Games, finishing less than two seconds behind gold medalist Karolien Florijn. An outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ athletes since her marriage in 2020, Twigg was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022.
Winning Olympic gold in the single sculls at the Tokyo Games after finishing fourth at her two previous Olympics, becoming the only New Zealand woman to win the event
How They Played
Tactically composed single sculls specialist known for controlled front-running and exceptional consistency at the top of the world rankings for over a decade
Lasting Impact
Regarded as New Zealand's premier single sculler and celebrated for a career defined by resilience, having retired twice before finally achieving Olympic gold, and for her advocacy for LGBTQ+ athletes
Career Honours
- 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist, Single Sculls (held 2021) - only NZ woman to win the event
- 2024 Olympic Silver Medalist, Single Sculls
- 2014 World Champion, Single Sculls
- Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2022)
New Zealander Athletes