Following her lightweight Olympic gold at the Paris Games, British rower Imogen Grant is transitioning to open-weight competition to target the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. To bridge a 20kg weight and four-inch height gap against rivals, the 30-year-old doctor has transitioned to a high-calorie vegan diet, gaining mass.
Fantasy & Market Impact
The Open-Weight Equation and Tactical Efficiency
When Imogen Grant stood atop the podium in Paris alongside partner Emily Craig in the lightweight women’s double sculls, the immediate horizon looked like a definitive career curtain. Lightweight rowing’s exclusion from the Olympic calendar post-Paris left athletes facing stark career pivots. For Grant, a return to her work as a resident doctor felt like the primary trajectory. Yet, experiencing the broader canvas of the Paris Games planted a different seed.
To secure a place on the road to LA 2028, Grant faced a physiological hurdle. Moving from lightweight competition—where crews averaged no more than 57kg at pre-race weigh-ins—into open-weight rowing meant confronting competitors typically at least four inches taller and 20kg heavier. In an endurance sport dictated by raw power output and leverage, mass translates directly into boat speed.
“I’m never going to be the strongest person in the boat,” Grant told BBC Sport. Instead of relying on sheer force, Grant leans into the technical efficiency honed during years at the summit of world rowing. “It’s not just about the raw power in a rowing boat,” she explains. “It’s about all of those other things, how well you can row with each other, how well you can move the boat.”
Fueling the Transition on a Plant-Based Diet
The physical transformation required a complete overhaul of her nutritional intake. As a lightweight competitor, fuelling sessions ran parallel to strict weight-management targets. Open-weight training removed those ceilings, demanding a massive caloric surplus to build functional muscle mass. Crucially, Grant executes this transformation entirely on a vegan diet, aligning her athletic ambitions with her commitment to climate activism and environmental sustainability.
“We’re an endurance sport, so carbs are king,” Grant notes, estimating her daily intake between 3,500 and 4,000 calories during heavy training blocks. Protein acquisition relies on staples like tofu, chickpeas, beans, and vegan protein shakes, combined across frequent, energy-dense meals.
| Metric | Lightweight Women’s Double | Open-Weight Quadruple Sculls |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Restriction | Max crew average 57kg | None |
| Daily Caloric Demand | Strictly controlled/restricted | 3,500 – 4,000 calories (Grant) |
| Key Performance Driver | Pound-for-pound power-to-weight ratio | Raw power, leverage, and crew synchronicity |
Proving the Concept on the Water
The analytical returns on Grant’s physical rebuilding are already visible on the water. After balancing her resident doctor duties, a return to training unlocked immediate success.
“A lot of people think they’re not built for rowing because they’re too short or too small,” Grant observes. “Showing that that’s actually not the case and you can still achieve if you’re a little bit smaller is also really important.”
