Hiroshi Sugito
Asia / Pacific
Originally from Nagoya, Japan, Hiroshi has spent over two decades in the international rowing community. His passion for rowing has spanned from athlete to coach; from innovator and pioneer, as he has sought to bring the love and accessibility of the sport to his home country. As an athlete, Hiroshi placed 8th in World Championships 1993 (Men's Lightweight Four, stroke rower) and 1st place in Asian Games 1994 (Men's Lightweight Double Scull, stroke rower). In 1996, Hiroshi transitioned from athlete to coach after having received a grant from the Japanese Olympic Committee to study coaching abroad. Subsequently he went on to coach professionally in Japan. His women's lightweight double finished 9th, the highest achievement for Japanese women's rowing history, in Beijing 2008.
Hiroshi's first encounter with Resolute was in the World Rowing Championships in 1996 Strathclyde. He reminisces that was shocked when he first saw Resolute's Eight with the radical blunt bow shape, but on second he thought, "Why hadn't anyone thought to do this before?" Later, he bought an old RESOLUTE single scull from a Canadian friend, outfitted it with the Shimano SRD system, and brought it back to Japan to be the first RESOLUTE boat in Asia.
Email: hiroshi@rowing.jp
Cell: +81 (80) 4642-6934