Imogen Grant captured Olympic gold in lightweight rowing in Paris, but the discipline is being removed from the Olympic calendar. Rather than retire, the British rower decided to pursue the 2028 Los Angeles Games by moving into open-weight rowing, a shift that requires her to become a fundamentally different athlete.
At 5 feet 6 inches, Grant is significantly smaller than most open-weight competitors, who typically stand at least four inches taller and weigh 20 kilograms more. In lightweight rowing, Grant and her former partner Emily Craig had to average no more than 57 kilograms at their pre-race weigh-in. The new discipline imposes no weight restrictions, forcing Grant to gain substantial mass.
Grant, 30, estimated she consumes 3,500 to 4,000 calories daily during training, well above the 2,000-calorie average for women, while maintaining a vegan diet. She sources protein largely through tofu, chickpeas, beans and plant-based shakes. Grant emphasized that technique and efficiency, honed over years as a lightweight champion, remain crucial advantages beyond raw power.
After Paris, Grant balanced rowing with work as a resident doctor in the National Health Service before returning to full-time training. At the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, she travelled as a reserve. This year, after regaining fitness, she competed in Britain's women's quadruple sculls and helped the team win World Cup gold in Lucerne in June.
Grant has been selected for the World Championships in Amsterdam from August 24 to 30 alongside Paris Olympic champions Lola Anderson and Hannah Scott, and Finnola Stratton. Reaching Los Angeles would mark 10 years representing Britain. Grant said showing that success in rowing is possible for athletes who are smaller or shorter is important to her.
