Historic Women’s Pair Inducted into Row Ontario Hall of Fame
An historic women’s pair became the latest inductee into the Row Ontario Hall of Fame on Thursday, as long-time national team members Emma Robinson and Alison Korn were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments.
Both Korn and Robinson got their start in rowing as novice university rowers in the early 1990’s. Ottawa native Korn got her start at McGill University while Robinson, who grew up in Winnipeg, rowed her first strokes at the University of Toronto. Both progressed quickly in the sport and within a few years had moved into the national team program. Over the course of their careers, Korn and Robinson would be crewmates in several different boats together, including the pair where they would win back-to-back gold medals at the 1997 and 1998 World Rowing Championships.
“We’re honoured to be inducted into the Row Ontario Hall of Fame,” said Korn and Robinson in a shared statement. “Our success in the pair was built on an exceptional training environment, teammates who pushed us every day, and the guidance of Al Morrow and Lesley Thompson‑Willie. We’re deeply grateful for this recognition.”
By the time Korn and Robinson teamed up together in the pair, they were already Olympic medalists, having earned the silver medal as part of the women’s eight at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The following year, they made their debut together in the pair at a World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland where they claimed the silver medal, finishing four seconds behind the Romanian pair of Georgeta Andrunach and Veronica Cochela-Cogeanu. Just a few months later they competed at the 1997 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France, where they put on a dominant performance in winning the first World Championship gold medal of their careers. The duo crossed the finish line in a time of 7:08.09, this time over six seconds ahead of the second-place Romanian pair.
The following year they again competed at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup, where they again finished on the podium, but this time on the top step. They claimed the gold medal finishing three seconds ahead of second place Australia. Their gold medal-winning ways continued at the 1998 World Rowing Championships in Cologne, Germany, where they crossed the finish line in a winning time of 7:05.19, in their last race together in the pair.
While they found an incredible amount of success together in the pair, both Korn and Robinson found success in other boats, sometimes together and sometimes apart. At the conclusion of her rowing career, Korn had won two Olympic medals, five World Rowing Championship medals and six World Rowing Cup medals. She remained close to sport following her rowing career, becoming a volunteer board member with the Ottawa Sport Council, and a volunteer communications member with Commonwealth Sport Canada. She also covered national amateur sport for eight years as a columnist for the Toronto Sun and worked for six years with the Canadian Paralympic Committee. She is a member of the Nepean Sports Hall of Fame, continues to be involved in sport as a masters swimmer and is a lifetime member of the Ottawa Rowing Club.
Robinson, also a two-time Olympic medalist, earned a total of seven World Rowing Championship medals, ten World Rowing Cup medals, and one Pan Am Games gold medal over the course of her career. A former member of both the Bayside Rowing Club and Don Rowing Club, Robinson was one of the leaders on the national team throughout her career and was always willing to share her experiences and technical knowledge to younger athletes looking to make their mark on the sport. She returned to the University of Toronto to complete her medical degree after retiring from the national team and became a Radiologist in her post-rowing career. In 2006, Robinson was inducted into the U of T Sports Hall of Fame.
The last race of both Korn and Robinson’s national team careers came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where they earned a bronze medal together as members of the Canadian women’s eight. The duo has been recognized together previously as the 1997 Team of the Year in the province of Ontario, winning the 1997 Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall Trophy, recognizing Canada’s most outstanding pairs team in any sport and a 2023 induction into the Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame.
Row Ontario will be announcing the inductions of the 2026 Hall of Fame class throughout the week as part of ‘Hall of Fame Week’. Already announced this week are Peterborough rowing builder Chris Leach, long-time Leander Boat Club coach Jim Roche, and rowing pioneer Jake Gaudaur. Stay tuned this week for more announcements on the 2026 induction class of the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.
The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 induction classes will be honoured in-person at the Row Ontario Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 28 in the Niagara area. The HOF induction ceremony is part of the Ontario Rowing Summit weekend. To purchase tickets to the HOF induction ceremony, visit the link below:
