Explained: Olympic rowing

Rowing 30 Jun 24

Rowing is among Britain’s most successful Olympic sports.

Only the USA have won more Olympic rowing medals than Team GB’s 70, a haul which has helped make legends of names such as Sir Steve Redgrave, Dame Katherine Grainger and Sir Matthew Pinsent.

The class of 2024 will be hoping to add to that tally in Paris this summer as the next chapter in a sport which has been a staple of the programme since 1900 is written at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

How many Olympic rowing disciplines are there?

Paris 2024 will see medals competed for in 14 disciplines. These are split equally between men’s and women’s events.

An equal number of male and female rowers competed for the first time in Tokyo and this remains the case for this summer’s programme.

What is ‘sweep rowing’?

In sweep rowing, athletes use a single oar. This means rowers must be paired in order to balance the boat.

There are three Olympic sweep classes. These are the pair (men’s and women’s), four (men’s and women’s) and eight (men’s and women’s).

What is ‘sculling’?

Sculls events see rowers use two oars, one on either side of the boat.

This is not the only difference between sweep rowing and sculling. The latter includes an individual class (single sculls), while there are two different events for those competing as a duo – double sculls and lightweight double sculls.

In lightweight double sculls, there is a limit placed on the maximum body weight of competitors. At international level, this is set as follows:

Men: Crew average 70 kg (154.3 lb) – no rower over 72.5 kg (159.8 lb)

Women: Crew average 57 kg (125.7 lb) – no rower over 59 kg (130.1 lb)

In total, there are four Olympic sculling classes. These are single sculls (men’s and women’s), double sculls (men’s and women’s), lightweight double sculls (men’s and women’s) and quad sculls (men’s and women’s).,

Over what distance are races held?

Each Olympic rowing race is held over 2000m.

What is a coxswain and which boats include one?

A coxswain does not row but has plenty of other responsibilities.

They sit at the stern (back) of the boat, facing forwards towards the bow, and are tasked with steering, co-ordinating the power and rhythm of the rowers and generally acting as a ‘coach’ within the boat.

Of the Olympic classes, only the eight contains a coxswain.

Who steers the boat?

The remaining crews are ‘coxless’ and will identify a member of the boat to take responsibility for steering.

They control the rudder using lines attached to the toe of one shoe, which pivots around the ball of the foot.

In a four or quad, the responsibility will often lie with a rower in the middle of the boat.

How many boats are in a race at the Olympics?

There will be no more than six boats in a race.

The number can vary in heats, repechage races and semi-finals, while each final will be contested by six boats.

What is the Olympic competition format?

Each class begins with heats, the number of which varies per class. The number of boats per gender in each class is as follows:

Single sculls – 32

Pair – 13

Double sculls – 13

Lightweight double sculls – 13

Coxless four – 9

Quadruple sculls – 9

Eight – 7

A select number of the fastest boats from each heat go into the semi-finals, while the remainder compete in the repechage, which offers another chance to progress. The number of boats who qualify from these races varies per class.

From the semi-finals, the fastest boats make it through to compete for medals in the final.

Who are the Brits to watch in Paris?

British crews have been in fine form in recent times, winning a joint-high six medals at the 2023 World Championships and topping the medal table at the European Championships of the same year.

Lightweight double scullers Imogen Grant and Emily Craig missed out on a medal following a photo finish in Tokyo but have not lost since, collecting consecutive world and European titles.

The men’s four – an event dominated by Great Britain since the turn of the millennium, with five consecutive golds between 2000 and 2016 – are also unbeaten in this Olympic cycle, with Oliver Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson winning gold at September’s World Championships in Belgrade.

The men’s eight did likewise and will look to reclaim Britain’s crown in that class, with 2016 triumph in Rio followed by bronze in Tokyo.

Sportsbeat 2024

Tags