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London 2012 Olympic Rowing

travoholic | Jul 2, 2010 |

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Olympic rowing had an auspicious debut at the 1896 Games in Athens - cancelled due to bad weather, the sport would have to wait four years for its official debut in 1900. There are fourteen rowing events in Olympic rowing, ranging from men's quad sculls to women's coxless pair. Women have been rowing at the Olympic level since the 1976 Montreal Games so there is now quite a tradition in women's rowing. The recent introduction of lightweight classes to rowing events (at Atlanta in 1996) has increased international interest in rowing - smaller nations like Estonia and Uruguay now compete against the traditional favorites like Germany and the United States.

The London 2012 Olympics will host 550 individual Olympic rowers at the Eton College rowing center on Dorney Lake. The same site will be used for Kayak events - a 450 acre area of park land and water owned by Eton College but run by Dorney Lake officials. Rowing has a storied history in England; the first rowing events were held in the time of Shakespeare on the River Thames. Little more than gambling on the speed of river ferries, British Olympic rowing has come a long way, with Great Britain earning a third-best fifty four total medals in Olympics history.

If you plan on tuning in to Olympic rowing at the 2012 Games in London, know that there are two basic types of rowing at the Olympics -- sweep rowing and sculling. Sweep rowers use a single oar and compete in teams of two, four, or eight, sometimes with a "cox" or "coxswain" steering and giving the crew directions. Scullers carry two oars and compete in individual events, doubles, or quads depending on the event. Watching Olympic rowing means seeing the best of athletic strength and stamina; rowers complete forty stokes a minute or more at full speed.

Medals will likely go to the big five countries (the US, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Romania) as well as a few surprise names. The South African team has been the underdog favorite so far, though Spain (usually a strong contender in most Summer events) could earn some acclaim for a nation that has otherwise been quiet, medal wise.

The unacclaimed hero of Olympic rowing is host nation Great Britain's Steve Redgrave who won an impressive five straight Gold medals in various rowing events. Redgrave has long since retired from the Games, but the British tradition of rowing excellence did not die with him. The brilliant Matthew Pinsent is set to match Redgrave's five medal feat should he win a Gold in London. Drew Ginn, from Australia, is another name to watch for. Ginn's earned three Gold medals, one for each year he's competed at the Games.

Since the inception of lightweight rowing in the 90s, participation and interest in rowing is on the rise. The small nation of Belarus scored two Bronze medals in rowing events. That's why Olympic rowing is one of the more exciting Olympic events to watch.