Rowing at the Olympics
Rowing is one of the mainstay events at the Olympic Games. Rowing was on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was canceled due to poor weather. It has been on the Olympic program since 1900. Women's events were introduced at the 1976 Games in Montreal. All races are over a 2000 m (1.24 miles) course.
Paris 2024 Events
Currently at the Olympics there are 14 rowing events, the same seven events for men and women. All races are raced over a 2000m course.
- Single sculls
- Double sculls
- Quadruple sculls
- Coxless pair
- Coxless four
- Eight
- Lightweight double sculls
Changes for 2028?
There has been a push from the IOC to remove some weight-classified events. Therefore, the lightweight double sculls may not remain on the program fro much longer. The event slated to replace it is the more spectacular coastal rowing.
winning team of the 1912 rowing inriggers foursfrom: The Oficial Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912
Previous Events
Here are events that have been part of previous Olympic Games:
- Lightweight coxless four (1996-2016)
- 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 only)
- Men's Coxed Four with Inriggers (1912 only)
- Six-Man Naval Rowing Boats (1906 only)
- 17-Man Naval Rowing Boats (1906 only)
Trivia
- The french boy who coxed the Dutch winning pair in the rowing events at the 1900 Olympics is believed to be only 7 years old. In 1992, Spain's coxswain in the eights, 11-year-old Carlos Front, was the youngest competitor in the Olympic Games since 1900.
- The current standard course of 2000m was not always the case. The distance was different in Paris in 1900 (1,750 m), in St. Louis in 1904 (3218 m), in London in 1908 (2,412 m) also in London 1948 (1,850 m).
- In a rowing quarter-final at the 1928 Amsterdam games, Australia's Henry Pearce stopped rowing to allow a family of ducks to pass safely in front of his boat. He still won the heat and took gold in the final.
- The 1908 and 1948 rowing races were held over the Henley Royal Regatta course.
- Women's races were raced over 1,000 meters until 1988, when they were changed to 2,000 meters.
- Early games featured match races between two or three boats (in 1952, between four or five boats).
- The modern six boat side-by-side format was first adopted at the 1936 Olympic Games, and has been the standard since the 1956 Olympic Games.
- At Moscow 1980 both the gold and silver medal-winning rowing teams in the coxless pairs event were identical twins.
- Lightweight rowing events were introduced in 1996.
- In 2000, British rower Steven Redgrave became the first athlete to win gold medals in five consecutive Olympics.
- The best all-time performing rower at the Olympic Games is Romanian Elisabeta Lipă who won 8 medals (5 gold) between 1984–2000. The highest ranked male is British rower Steve Redgrave also with 5 gold medals. See more on the Greatest Rowers at the Olympics.
Related Pages
- See more on the Greatest Rowers at the Olympics.
- What is Coastal Rowing?
- About the sport of Rowing
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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