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Rowing at the Summer Olympics

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Rowing at the Summer Olympics
Image
IOC CodeROW (all Rowing)
RCB (Coastal Rowing)
Governing bodyWorld Rowing
Events15 (men: 7; women: 7; mixed: 1)
Summer Olympics

Rowing has been part of the Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1900 Games. Rowing was on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was cancelled due to bad weather.[1] Only men were allowed to compete until the women's events were introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal which gave national federations the incentive to support women's events and catalysed growth in women's rowing.[2] Lightweight rowing events (which have weight-limited crews) were introduced to the games in 1996. Qualifying for the rowing events is under the jurisdiction of the World Rowing Federation. World Rowing predates the modern Olympics and was the first international sport federation to join the modern Olympic movement.

Summary

[edit]
Games Year Events Best Nation
1
219005Image France (1)
319045Image United States (1)
419084Image Great Britain (1)
519124Image Great Britain (2)
6
719205Image United States (2)
819247Image United States (3)
919287Image United States (4)
1019327Image United States (5)
1119367Image Germany (1)
12
13
1419487Image Great Britain (3)
1519527Image United States (6)
1619567Image United States (7)
1719607Image United Team of Germany (1)
Games Year Events Best Nation
1819647Image United States (8)
1919687Image East Germany (1)
2019727Image East Germany (2)
21197614Image East Germany (3)
22198014Image East Germany (4)
23198414Image Romania (1)
24198814Image East Germany (5)
25199214Image Germany (2)
26199614Image Australia (1)
27200014Image Romania (2)
28200414Image Romania (3)
29200814Image Great Britain (4)
30201214Image Great Britain (5)
31201614Image Great Britain (6)
32202014Image New Zealand (1)
33202414Image Netherlands (1)
34202815TBD

Events

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At the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, the following 14 events were contested for both men and women: Single sculls, Double sculls, Quadruple sculls, lightweight double sculls, Coxless pair, Coxless four, Eight.

The lightweight events were first threatened in 2002 when the Programme Commission of the IOC recommended that, outside combat sports (boxing and wrestling, but not fencing, shooting, and archery) and weightlifting, there should not be weight-category events. The 2024 Olympics were the last where lightweight rowing will be included.[3]

Other non-Olympic boatclasses, which still compete in World Championships, are currently: men's & women's lightweight single sculls, lightweight quadruple sculls and lightweight coxless pair.

Men's events

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Event960004081220242832364852566064687276808488929600040812162024Years
Current program
Single sculls (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 30
Double sculls (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 27
Quadruple sculls (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14
Coxless pair (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 27
Coxless four (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26
Eight (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 29
Past events
Coxed pair (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18
Coxed four (details) •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 19
Coxed four, with inriggers • 1
Lightweight double sculls (details) • • • • • • • • 7
Lightweight coxless four (details) • • • • • • 6
Total05544577777777777 88888888888776

Women's events

[edit]
Event960004081220242832364852566064687276808488929600040812162024Years
Current program
Single sculls (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14
Double sculls (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14
Quadruple sculls (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14
Coxless pair (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14
Coxless four (details) • • • • 4
Eight (details) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14
Past events
Coxed four (details) • • • • 4
Lightweight double sculls (details) • • • • • • • • 8
Total00000000000000000 66666666666776

Race distances

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From 1912 to 2024, all men's races have been over a 2000m course, except for London 1948, where the course was 1850m. In 2024, World Rowing announced that Rowing at the 2028 Olympics will take place over 1500 meters due to limitations of the Long Beach Marine Stadium. This would be shortest ever used for men's Olympic rowing.[4]

Before 1912, it was raced over various distances: the course in Paris in 1900 was 1750m, in St. Louis in 1904 it was 3218m, and in London in 1908 it was 2414m. The 1908 and 1948 events were held over the Henley Royal Regatta course.

Women's races were raced over 1000m until 1988, when they were changed to 2000m.[5]

Early Games featured match races between two or three boats, until the modern six boat side-by-side format was first adopted at the 1936 Olympic Games. With the exception of the 1952 Olympic Games (races between four or five boats), it has been the standard since.

Qualification

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There is a limited number of crews permitted to race, so World Rowing holds qualification events in order to determine who competes at the Olympic Games. At the Olympic 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 four are held during the year preceding 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 Championships, 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 wins that qualifies for the Olympics, and if members of that crew race in the Olympics they must race in that event.

Medal table

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The numbers below are after the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[6]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Image United States34322591
2Image Great Britain34271778
3Image East Germany337848
4Image Germany24161555
5Image Romania2215946
6Image New Zealand1571133
7Image Australia13151745
8Image Soviet Union12201042
9Image Netherlands12171544
10Image Italy11161643
11Image Canada10181644
12Image France8151336
13Image Switzerland781025
14Image Denmark751325
15Image Poland441220
16Image West Germany44614
17Image United Team of Germany4419
18Image Norway37818
19Image Bulgaria34714
20Image Croatia3328
21Image Finland3137
22Image China24612
23Image Czechoslovakia22711
24Image Belarus2147
25Image Ireland2125
26Image Czech Republic1315
27Image Greece1146
28Image Slovenia1135
Image Yugoslavia1135
30Image Argentina1124
31Image South Africa1113
Image Ukraine1113
33Image Russia1023
34Image Belgium0628
35Image Austria0336
36Image Estonia0213
37Image ROC (ROC)0202
Image Sweden0202
39Image Lithuania0134
Image Uruguay0134
41Image Hungary0123
42Image Spain0101
–Image Individual Neutral Athletes0101
43Image Russian Empire0011
Image Unified Team0011
Totals (44 entries)282282286850

Rowing medal leaders (by Summer Olympiad)

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Games of Leader Gold Silver Bronze Total
Image France, 1900 Paris Image France 2 3 1 6
Image United States, 1904 St. Louis Image United States 5 4 4 13
Image United Kingdom, 1908 London Image Great Britain 4 3 1 8
Image Sweden, 1912 Stockholm Image Great Britain 2 2 0 4
Image Belgium, 1920 Antwerp Image United States 3 1 0 4
Image France, 1924 Paris Image United States 2 1 2 5
Image Netherlands, 1928 Amsterdam Image United States 2 2 1 5
Image United States, 1932 Los Angeles Image United States 3 1 0 4
Image Germany, 1936 Berlin Image Germany 5 1 1 7
Image United Kingdom, 1948 London Image Great Britain 2 1 0 3
Image Finland, 1952 Helsinki Image United States 2 0 1 3
Image Australia, 1956 Melbourne Image United States 3 2 1 6
Image Italy, 1960 Rome Image United Team of Germany 3 1 0 4
Image Japan, 1964 Tokyo Image United States 2 1 1 4
Image Mexico, 1968 Mexico City Image East Germany 2 1 0 3
Image West Germany, 1972 Munich Image East Germany 3 1 3 7
Image Canada, 1976 Montreal Image East Germany 9 3 2 14
Image Soviet Union, 1980 Moscow Image East Germany 11 1 2 14
Image United States, 1984 Los Angeles Image Romania 6 2 0 8
Image South Korea, 1988 Seoul Image East Germany 8 1 1 10
Image Spain, 1992 Barcelona Image Germany 4 3 3 10
Image United States, 1996 Atlanta Image Australia 2 1 3 6
Image Australia, 2000 Sydney Image Romania 3 0 0 3
Image Greece, 2004 Athens Image Romania 3 0 0 3
Image China, 2008 Beijing Image Great Britain 2 2 2 6
Image United Kingdom, 2012 London Image Great Britain 4 2 3 9
Image Brazil, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Image Great Britain 3 2 0 5
Image Japan, 2020 Tokyo Image New Zealand 3 2 0 5
Image France, 2024 Paris Image Netherlands 4 3 1 8
Image United States, 2028 Los Angeles

Multiple medalists

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The table shows those who have won at least 3 gold medals.

Athlete (nation) Olympics  Gold  Silver Bronze Total Notes
Elisabeta Lipă
Image Romania		 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 5 2 1 8 20 years between first and last gold medal
Steve Redgrave
Image Great Britain		 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 5 0 1 6 Gold medals in 1984 (M4+), 1988 (M2- with Andy Holmes), 1992 and 1996 (M2- with Matthew Pinsent) and 2000 (M4-). Only endurance athlete to win Olympic gold at five consecutive games.
Georgeta Damian
Image Romania		 2000, 2004, 2008 5 0 1 6 Won the pair and the eights in both 2000 and 2004, and the pair again in 2008
Doina Ignat
Image Romania		 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 4 1 1 6 Part of Romania's three-straight gold medalist eight
Kathrin Boron
Image Germany		 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 4 0 1 5 Four straight Olympic golds. Bronze in her final Olympics in the Quadruple Sculls
Viorica Susanu
Image Romania		 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 4 0 1 5 Won three medals in the women's eight, and two in the pair
Matthew Pinsent
Image Great Britain		 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 4 0 0 4 Four straight Olympic golds. Won with Steve Redgrave in the pair in 1992 and 1996. In the coxless four in 2000 and in 2004
Jack Beresford
Image Great Britain		 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936 3 2 0 5 First rower to win a medal at 5 straight Olympics. WWII prevented the opportunity for a sixth medal
Constanța Burcică
Image Romania		 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 3 1 1 5 Won three gold medals in the women's lightweight double sculls
Elena Georgescu
Image Romania		 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 3 1 1 5 Coxswain of Romania's women's eight
Drew Ginn
Image Australia		 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012 3 1 0 4
Martin Sinković
Image Croatia		 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024 3 1 0 4 Three straight Olympic golds with brother Valent Sinković in the double sculls in 2016 and the coxless pair in 2020 and 2024. Silver in the quadruple sculls in 2012
Valent Sinković
Image Croatia		 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024 3 1 0 4 Three straight Olympic golds with brother Martin Sinković in the double sculls in 2016 and the coxless pair in 2020 and 2024. Silver in the quadruple sculls in 2012
Eskild Ebbesen
Image Denmark		 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 3 0 2 5 Won all his medals in the lightweight coxless four
Marnie McBean
Image Canada		 1992, 1996 3 0 1 4 Along with rowing partner Kathleen Heddle, Canadian with the most gold medals
Kathleen Heddle
Image Canada		 1992, 1996 3 0 1 4 Won all her medals with rowing partner Marnie McBean
James Tomkins
Image Australia		 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 3 0 1 4 Most medalled Australian rower
John B. Kelly Sr.
Image United States		 1920, 1924 3 0 0 3 First rower to win 3 gold medals. Father of movie star turned princess Grace Kelly
Paul Costello
Image United States		 1920, 1924, 1928 3 0 0 3 First man to win 3 gold medals in the same event, the double sculls. Cousin of John B. Kelly Sr.
Vyacheslav Ivanov
Image Soviet Union		 1956, 1960, 1964 3 0 0 3 Won all his medals in the single sculls
Siegfried Brietzke
Image East Germany		 1972, 1976, 1980 3 0 0 3 First German triple gold medalist. Won in the pair and the coxless four
Pertti Karppinen
Image Finland		 1976, 1980, 1984 3 0 0 3 Won all his medals in the single sculls
Agostino Abbagnale
Image Italy		 1988, 1996, 2000 3 0 0 3 His brothers Carmine and Giuseppe each won 2 gold medals.
Liliana Gafencu
Image Romania		 1996, 2000, 2004 3 0 0 3 Won all three medals in Romania's women's eight
Elle Logan
Image United States		 2008, 2012, 2016 3 0 0 3 Won all three medals in USA women's eight
Pete Reed
Image Great Britain		 2008, 2012, 2016 3 0 0 3 Two wins in coxless four, then in eight
Andrew Triggs Hodge
Image Great Britain		 2008, 2012, 2016 3 0 0 3 Two wins in coxless four, then in eight
Hamish Bond
Image New Zealand		 2012, 2016, 2020 3 0 0 3 Two wins in coxless pair, then in eight

Nations

[edit]

Number of rowers from each nation by year of Olympics, starting with 1896 (when none competed due to bad weather) then 1900 through 2020.

Nation960004081220242832364852566064687276808488929600040812162024Years
Image Algeria  1213122214
Image Angola  213
Image Argentina  993269912919107662286210244192
Image Australia  10101112814262526111612162516284745454847294035593
Image Austria  6297461073163765121385333138
Image Azerbaijan  2215
Image Bahamas  11
Image Belgium  12106202122741275215768954331123186
Image Bermuda  11114
Image Belarus  16101113510772
Image Bohemia  11
Image Brazil  5219222355224101010861464412137
Image Bulgaria  5834523718546322176
Image Cameroon  112
Image Canada  9171051412161011151315161516475441333632323430262911599
Image Chile  13192622142437
Image China  916331518173118172616216
Image Colombia  11
Image Ivory Coast  11
Image Croatia  781364533554
Image Cuba  591411714263211796712134
Image Czech Republic  51161412105669
Image Czechoslovakia  1511748112320162231261732243
Image Denmark  16110232525111614101277103131314121010131016301
Image Dominican Republic  11
Image Ecuador  11
Image Egypt  199171336521360
Image El Salvador  123
Image Spain  614161831310132210491469149
Image Estonia  171377644444
Image Finland  6526912723713532293
Image France  60191426265202217141623161814162312252119212114181214526
Image Great Britain  132241017191618262313268111732434232463736364347434340781
Image Germany  2632554
Image Germany  2323
Image Germany  2626
Image Saar  77
Image Germany  211973
Image United Team of Germany  12262664
Image East Germany  26265553143204
Image West Germany  27263914239174
Image Germany  524830484748352223353
Image Greece  93183172544510104783
Image Guatemala  2147
Image Hong Kong  31334141121
Image Honduras  11
Image Hungary  1111762310164126158208834624311189
Image Independent Olympic Athletes  21
Image Independent Olympic Athletes  22
Image India  213312113
Image Indonesia  12418
Image Iran  221139
Image Iraq  2114
Image Ireland  91101131646815151696
Image Italy  1617262022262622261814211252328213224301920272434544
Image Japan  614175101426103961213118445455191
Image Kazakhstan  13221110
Image Kenya  112
Image South Korea  95282432542165
Image Kuwait  1113
Image Saudi Arabia  11
Image Latvia  3418
Image Libya  11
Image Lebanon  11
Image Lebanon  112
Image Lithuania  832214107643
Image Morocco  112
Image Mexico  123259113252533221373
Image Monaco  511119
Image Myanmar  112
Image Namibia  11
Image Nicaragua  213
Image Netherlands  1741217252156121317222128102616203735262932363535548
Image Nigeria  112
Image Niger  11
Image Norway  92914114925161412961123155712186
Image New Zealand  11658115141918221512112111626383020300
Image Pakistan  33
Image Paraguay  212128
Image Peru  2331121316
Image Philippines  11114
Image North Korea  66
Image Poland  614101310851131619431315121323202626206332
Image Portugal  14953242229
Image Puerto Rico  1113
Image Qatar  11
Image Romania  914715930332934453332191315193645437
Image South Africa  11555988256126174
Image Russian Empire  11
Image Soviet Union  2625252627265554539
Image Unified Team  471
Image Russia  242619105488
Image Russia  101
Image Serbia and Montenegro  66
Image Singapore  1113
Image Slovenia  6749102240
Image Serbia  3643521
Image Sudan  112
Image Switzerland  18291326191318818174109791111618111115292
Image Slovakia  2125
Image Sweden  286531614191378879312211144
Image Chinese Taipei  211116
Image Thailand  1112218
Image Togo  1113
Image Trinidad and Tobago  112
Image Tunisia  21234315
Image Turkey  12115
Image Uganda  112
Image Ukraine  201610102382695
Image United Arab Republic  99
Image United States  937171126262626262626262726555453524648454644413742856
Image Uruguay  18332525311133212146
Image Uzbekistan  311237
Image Vanuatu  112
Image Venezuela  1124
Image Vietnam  2224110
Image Yugoslavia  20221311212154145102130
Image Zimbabwe  2122118
Rowers131468719214420024714634531340626243037735744258748446561566062054355755255055053750317312
Rowers - Male1314687192144200247166345313406262430377357442345328322408449405257362357353331302253
Rowers - Female0000000000000000242156143207211215286195195197219235250
Rowers - First Games
Countries7281414141912242733253327293531263138454551556058697966
New countries7137424135521132012211657929102
Events5544577777777777141414141414141414141414141
Boats131468719235466736958411369116100102126159136140182198210192202206206215211199
Year 960004081220242832364852566064687276808488929600040812162024

Venues

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See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "History of Rowing at the Olympic Games" (PDF). IOC. March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Feature: the impact of Olympic inclusion on women's rowing". World Rowing. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Final bow for lightweights in Paris as rowing weight classes disappear | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com.
  4. ↑ "Olympic rowing course to be shortened for 2028 LA Games". www.insidethegames.biz. 2024-07-30. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  5. ↑ "Women in rowing". World Rowing. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
[edit]
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