His senior rowing was with the Mercantile Rowing Club in Melbourne. Patten was in the three seat at that time with Nick Green (bow), Mike McKay (two) and James Tomkins stroke. Patten went onto make a second Olympic appearance in the men"s eight at Barcelona 1992.
Patten was in the Australian men"s eight which won a bronze medal at the 1983 World Championships and which replicated that feat the following year at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics. He was in the first incarnation of Australia"s Oarsome Foursome coxless four when they first achieved success winning at the 1990 World Rowing Championships in Lake Barrington.
