Rowing originally served as a means of transport in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, but it was only in England between the end of the 17th and the start of the 18th centuries that it became a sport. The first major rowing competition was the country’s now-annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race which began in 1829.
Brief overview of the rules
Rowing involves propelling a boat using oars fixed to the vessel. It differs from other disciplines in that rowers sit with their backs to the direction of movement, therefore crossing the finish line backwards.
Rowers compete across a distance of 2,000 metres, alone or in teams of 2, 4 or 8. There are two different disciplines: double scull and sweep rowing. In sweep events, rowers hold a single oar with both hands, while in sculling they hold one oar in each hand. The eight-person crews have a coxswain, who steers the boat and directs the crew. The boat is steered using a small rudder that is attached to the foot of one of the rowers by a cable. There are two lightweight rowing events.
Olympic history
Rowing events have been staged at every Games since the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 (men’s events). However, because the competition was scheduled to take place at sea, it had to be cancelled that year due to bad weather. Women’s events were only officially included in the Olympic program much later, at the Games of Montréal in 1976.
The USA initially dominated Olympic rowing, before the Soviet Union and Germany came to the forefront. Six-time Olympians Sir Steve Redgrave (five golds, one bronze) and Elisabeta Oleniuc-Lipă (five golds, two silvers, one bronze) are widely hailed as the greatest Olympic male and female rowers of all time.
