Richard Schmidt (rower)

Richard Schmidt
Schmidt in 2017
Personal information
NationalityGerman
Born (1987-05-23) 23 May 1987
Trier, West Germany
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
CountryGermany
SportRowing
Event(s)Coxless four, Eight
ClubRuderverein 'Treviris 1921' e.V. Trier
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing  Germany
Olympic Games
2012 LondonEight
2016 Rio de JaneiroEight
2020 TokyoEight
World Championships
2009 PoznańEight
2010 KarapiroEight
2011 BledEight
2017 SarasotaEight
2018 PlovdivEight
2019 OttensheimEight
2013 ChungjuEight
2014 AmsterdamEight
2015 AiguebeletteEight
European Championships
2010 Montemor-o-VelhoEight
2013 SevilleEight
2014 BelgradeEight
2015 PoznańEight
2016 BrandenburgEight
2017 RačiceEight
2018 GlasgowEight
2019 LucerneEight
2007 PoznańCoxless four

Richard Schmidt (born 23 May 1987) is a German former representative sweep-oar rower. He is a six time world champion, a four time Olympian, an Olympic gold & silver medallist and held a seat in the German senior men's eight — the Deutschlandachter — constantly from 2009 to 2021. He rowed at seven when the Deutschlandachter at the 2017 World Rowing Cup II set a world's best time of 5.18.68, which was still the standing world mark as of 2023.

He was in the German crew when it won the gold medal in the men's eight competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he rowed in Germany's men's eight which won the silver medal and again he rowed in the German men's eight at Tokyo 2021 and won his second Olympic silver medal. In 2024, he received the Thomas Keller Medal, the highest honor awarded by the World Rowing Federation.