Row: James Tomkins - a heart like Phar Lap

AAP Sports News (Australia), August, 2008

AAP Sports News (Australia) 08-05-2008 Row: James Tomkins - a heart like Phar Lap In the final in a series of articles on leading Olympic athletes, John Coomber profiles triple rowing gold medallist James Tomkins, who is competing at his sixth Olympics. By John Coomber, Senior Sports Writer BEIJING, AAP - James Tomkins has the human equivalent of Phar Lap's heart. It is such an amazing organ that sports scientist Dr Tony Rice can't wait for the end of the Olympics so he can measure it and try to work out what makes it tick so mightily. Tomkins, who turns 43 on August 19 - two days after the eights final - can pump more blood around his body than athletes in the full flush of youth. By a genetic freak, his maximum heart rate is around 20 beats a...

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