Olympics Rowing

Rowing has been contested since the 1900 Summer Olympics. Only men were allowed to compete until 1976 when women's events were introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Lightweight events were introduced to the games in 1996. However, this came under threat in 2002 when the Program Commission of the IOC recommended that, outside combat sports and weightlifting, there should not be weight category events. The Executive Board overturned this recommendation and lightweight rowing continues.

At the current Olympics the following 14 events are offered:

• Men: quad sculls, double sculls, single sculls, eight, coxless four, coxless pair
• Lightweight Men: coxless four, double sculls
• Women: quad sculls, double sculls, single sculls, eight, coxless pair
• Lightweight Women: double sculls.

Distance to be covered

Men's races have been raced over the standard 2,000 m. but in 1900 the distance was 1,750 m, than in 1904 it was 1.5 miles. The 1908 and 1948 were held over the Henley Royal Regatta course. Women's races were 1,000 m until 1988 when they were changed to 2,000 m. Early games featured match races between 2 or 3 boats. The modern six boat side by side format was first adopted at the 1936 Games, and has been the standard since the 1956 Games.

How to Qualify

There is a limited number of places for racing so FISA hold qualification events in order to determine who competes at the Olympic Games. At the games, each National Olympic Committee can only have one boat per event. The main qualification comes from the previous year's World Rowing Championships. Other qualifying events are called Continental Qualification Regattas, of which 4 are held during the year of the games Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Final. At the World Champs, the top finishing boats guarantee a place for that country - the rowers in the crew can be changed before the games. At the qualification regattas, it is the crew that qualifies and no changes can be made (except for illness or injury).

History of Rowing in Olympics:

At the 1904 Summer Olympics, five rowing events were contested. The Olympics were held in St. Louis, United States, and all of the rowing competitors, save the Canadian men's eight, were from the United States. It was the second appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. Coxless forms of the pairs and fours were introduced, replacing the coxed pairs and fours that had been used 4 years earlier. Sculling was expanded, with double sculls as well as singles. The men's coxed fours with in riggers, also referred to as the coxed four with jug riggers, was a rowing event held as part of the Rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics program. It was the only appearance of the restricted event.

Due to the Eastern Bloc boycott of these Olympics, some of the strongest rowing nations like East Germany, the USSR or Bulgaria were not present. However, this boycott gave an opportunity to Romania, which was one of the few eastern European countries to come to the Games, going on to dominate in women's sports, winning 5 gold medals in 6 events. The men's and women's single scull events were highly anticipated and closely contested. In the women's race, Ekaterina Karsten, the reigning Olympic champion, won a photo finish, beating Rumyana Neykova by 1/100th of a second. And in the men's race, the reigning World Champion Rob Waddell beat reigning Olympic Champion Xeno Muller along with Marcel Hacker and Derek Porter in a tough, close race. In the men's eight, Great Britain captured the gold medal for the first time since 1912, beating Australia by 8/10th of a second. Rowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre and featured 550 competitors taking part in 14 events. The medals were split among 22 countries, Romania topping the medal table, their women winning 3 gold medals with the traditionally strong Germany, Great Britain and Australia picking up four medals each.