Immense sadness follows the unexpected passing of Coach Robin Dowell. Dowell, 40, was found on the morning of Friday 16th December by his athletes in a coaching launch on Lake Sarnen in the canton of Obwalden, Switzerland.
Dowell was the coach of Switzerland’s women’s single sculler, Jeannine Gmelin. The 2017 World Champion was shocked, stunned and deeply saddened. “Robin was more than a first-class coach for me. He was a friend, a great person, my soulmate, and the reason I became the athlete I am. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones,” she said in a statement released by Swiss Rowing. Prior to becoming Swiss Rowing’s Chief Coach in 2017, Dowell was the Lead Coach for Juniors at GB Rowing.
