Laura Gourley

NSW | UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

Laura Gourley was born and raised in Narrabri, NSW attending Narrabri Public School and then Narrabri High School for two years before making the move to Sydney. It was here she took up the sport as a Year 9 student at Sydney’s Loreto Normanhurst Catholic School.

Laura first made NSW state selection in the 2020 women's youth eight, which didn't race at the Interstate Regatta due to the pandemic. Laura was set to trial for the junior Australian team in 2020, but that was cancelled forcing her to train on her neighbour’s irrigation dam while in Narrabri during two lockdowns.

In 2021, Laura was again selected in the NSW women's youth eight, placing third in the race for the Bicentennial Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships.

Laura's Australian representative debut came in 2022 when she was selected as Australia's U23 single sculler to compete at the 2022 U23 World Rowing Championships in Varese where she finished in eighth place.

In March 2023 Laura was selected in the Australian senior women's sculling squad for the 2023 international season. At the Rowing World Cup II in Varese, Italy, Laura raced as Australia's W2X entrant with Amanda Bateman. They made the A final and finished in fourth place.

At 2023's Rowing World Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland, Laura and Amanda again raced the W2X. They made the A final and in a tight finish at the back of that field they finished in fourth place.

Laura and Bateman raced in Australia's double scull at 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. They placed third in their heat but won their repechage to qualify through to the A/B semi in which they finished fifth. In the B final they finished second, earning a seventh place world ranking from the regatta and qualified the boat for Paris 2024.