Rowing at the Summer Olympics

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Rowing at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the 1900 Summer Olympics. The sport had been on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was cancelled due to weather. 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 Programme 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

[edit] Race Distance

Men's races have been raced over the standard 2,000 m except in 1900 (1,750 m), 1904 (1.5 miles), 1906 (various), 1908 (1.5 miles) and 1948 (1,880 m). 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 (and in 1952, between 4 and 5 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.

[edit] Qualification

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 (open to everyone else). Each year FISA issues details of how many crews qualify at each regatta.

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).

[edit] Multiple medalists

Athlete (nation)	Olympics	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Notes
Elisabeta Lipa Romania (ROM)	1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004	5	2	1	8	20 years between first and last gold medal
Stephen Redgrave Great Britain (GBR)	1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000	5	0	1	6	Gold medals in 5 straight Games
Doina Ignat Romania (ROM)	1992, 1996, 2000, 2004	4	1	0	5	Part of Romania's three-straight gold medalist eight
Matthew Pinsent Great Britain (GBR)	1992, 1996, 2000, 2004	4	0	0	4	Four straight Olympic golds, teammate of Stephen Redgrave
Kathrin Boron Germany (GER)	1992, 1996, 2000, 2004	4	0	0	4	Four straight Olympic golds
Georgeta Damian Romania (ROM)	2000, 2004	4	0	0	4	Won the pair and the eights in both 2000 and 2004
Jack Beresford Great Britain (GBR)	1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936	3	2	0	5	First rower to win a medal at 5 straight Olympics. WWII prevented a sixth medal
Elena Georgescu Romania (ROM)	1992, 1996, 2000, 2004	3	1	0	4	Coxswain of Romania's women's eight
Marnie McBean Canada (CAN)	1992, 1996	3	0	1	4	Along with rowing partner Kathleen Heddle, most medaled Canadian
Kathleen Heddle Canada (CAN)	1992, 1996	3	0	1	4	Won all her medals with rowing partner Marnie McBean
James Tomkins Australia (AUS)	1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004	3	0	1	4	Most medaled Australian rower
John B. Kelly, Sr. United States (USA)	1920, 1924	3	0	0	3	First rower to win 3 gold medals. Father of movie star turned princess Grace Kelly
Paul Costello United States (USA)	1920, 1924, 1928	3	0	0	3	First man to win 3 gold medals in the same event, the double sculls
Vyacheslav Ivanov USSR (URS)	1956, 1960, 1964	3	0	0	3	Won all his medals in the most prestigous event, the single sculls
Sigfried Brietzke East Germany (GDR)	1972, 1976, 1980	3	0	0	3	First German triple gold medalist. Won in the pair and the coxless four
Pertti Karppinen Finland (FIN)	1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992	3	0	0	3	Won all his medals in the most prestigous event, the single sculls
Agostino Abbagnale Italy (ITA)	1988, 1996, 2000	3	0	0	3	His brothers Carmine and Giuseppe each won 2 gold medals.
Constanţa Burcica Romania (ROM)	1996, 2000, 2004	3	0	0	3	Won all three medals in the women's lightweight double sculls
Liliana Gafencu Romania (ROM)	1996, 2000, 2004	3	0	0	3	Won all three medals in Romania's women's eight
Viorica Susanu Romania (ROM)	1996, 2000, 2004	3	0	0	3	Won two medals in the women's eight, and one in the pair

[edit] Discontinued Events

In the early games (1900 and 1904) there were several other categories of events (Junior, Novice, Association, and Intermediate). A number of other boat classes have made an appearance at several games but were subsequently dropped. These were:

• Men's Coxed Pair (1900-1992)
• Men's Coxed Four (1900-1992)
• Women's Coxed Four (1976-1988)
• Women's Coxed Quad Sculls (1976-1984)
• Women's Coxless Four (1992)
• Men's Coxed Four with Inriggers (1912)
• Six-Man Naval Rowing Boats (1906)
• 17-Man Naval Rowing Boats (1906)

[edit] See also

• List of Olympic medalists in rowing (men)
• List of Olympic medalists in rowing (women)

[edit] Links

• Olympic Rowing Medalists at HickokSports.com
• Category:Olympic rowers by year
• Category:Olympic rowers by country