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The Second Oldest Olympic Event is Rowing

69103-11-2022, 07:51

The Olympic Games are a pinnacle of athletic achievement, testing the strength, skill and will of the world’s finest athletes. For almost as long as the modern Olympics have existed, rowing has featured as one of its official sports. In fact, it is the second-oldest Olympic sport after archery. The origins of rowing as an Olympic event lie in 19th-century England when amateur social clubs began holding mock “Olympic games” to showcase local talent. Rowing was included in the first official Olympic Games in 1896 and has been part of every edition since. The standard Olympic program features both men and women competing in single and double-sculling events. There are also several other lesser-known rowing variations which feature at the quadrennial sporting spectacle. This article explores everything you need to know about rowing in the Olympics from its history and rules to its current stars and prospects for future games.

Table of contents

Olympic Rowing Events Women’s Rowing at the Olympics Men’s Rowing at the Olympics Lightweight Rowing at the Olympics

Olympic Rowing Events

The standard Olympic program features both men and women competing in single and double-sculling events. There are also several other lesser-known rowing variations which feature at the quadrennial sporting spectacle. The coxless pair, A 2-person boat, in which one rower sits at the stern and one rower sits at the bow. This event is usually crewed by male pairs but has been competed by mixed pairs since 1996. The coxless four – A 4-person boat, in which there are two rowers at the stern and two rowers at the bow. This event is usually crewed by male and female pairs, but has been competed by mixed crews since 2002. The coxed pair, a 2-person boat, in which one rower sits at the stern and one rower sits at the bow and is steered by a person known as a coxswain. This event is usually crewed by male pairs but has been competed by mixed pairs since 2012. The coxed four – A 4-person boat, in which there are two rowers at the stern and two rowers at the bow and a coxswain. This event is usually crewed by male and female pairs but has been competed by mixed crews since 2012. The coxless quad – A 4-person boat, in which there are two rowers at the stern and two rowers at the bow and no coxswain. The Women's Single Scull – A 1-person boat, in which the rower sits at the stern and is not steered. The men’s Single Scull – A 1-person boat, in which the rower sits at the stern and is not steered.

Women’s Rowing at the Olympics

The sport of rowing was originally a male-only event at the Olympics, but women have competed in the single scull since the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal. In that same year, women’s double sculling was added to the Olympic program. However, it was not until the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona that women’s lightweight events were introduced. Since 1976, only six countries have won medals in women’s rowing at the Olympics. In recent years, the sport has seen a rapid rise in participation and coverage, with more countries competing than ever before and broadcast rights attracting significant investment from major broadcasters around the world.

Men’s Rowing at the Olympics

The sport of rowing was originally a male-only event at the Olympics, but women have competed in the single scull since the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal. In that same year, women’s double sculling was added to the Olympic program. However, it was not until the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona that women’s lightweight events were introduced. Since 1976, only seven countries have won medals in men’s rowing at the Olympics. The last decade has seen the development of a “Super-Crew” in the men’s rowing, with a handful of countries emerging as dominant forces in the sport.

Lightweight Rowing at the Olympics

Lightweight rowing was introduced to the Olympic program in 1984, with both men’s and women’s events. However, the event was removed from the Olympics after the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. The lightweight rowing event was reintroduced to the Olympics for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, with both men’s and women’s events once again featuring. Since 1984, only three countries have won medals in lightweight rowing at the Olympics.

Conclusion

Rowing has been a part of the modern Olympic Games since their inception in 1896. In fact, the sport is the second-oldest Olympic event, only surpassed by archery. The origins of rowing as an Olympic event lie in 19th-century England, when amateur social clubs began holding mock “Olympic games” to showcase local talent. Rowing was included in the first official Olympic Games in 1896 and has been part of every edition since. In the early years of the modern Olympics, rowing was a hugely popular event, only slightly surpassed in terms of participation by athletics. In fact, 16 different countries won medals in rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics. However, the popularity of rowing has waned over the years, with the number of participating countries steadily declining and a dwindling audience at Olympic events. The sport is currently enjoying a period of unprecedented popularity, however, with the introduction of dramatic new medal events drawing rave reviews from Olympic viewers.