Rowing

cctv.com 07-26-2004 10:27

Rowing is a highly developed and popular sport in many countries. It combines a graceful spectacle with sharp competition. The field of play takes place in a natural scenic environment, such as a lake, river or a canal, which adds to the allure of rowing. Watching the sport once, either in person or on television, turns almost anyone into an avid fan of the sport.

The long and narrow boats, the colourful oars, the synchronised crews - ranging from one to eight athletes - are all ingredients for a very successful mix. This combination creates an exciting sport to watch and cheer on for spectators.

Description

In Olympic rowing 14 different boat classes are raced, eight sculling events in which two oars are used, one in each hand and six sweep-oared events in which the rower uses one oar with both hands. The sculling boat classes are the single, the double and the quadruple sculls with crews of one, two or four athletes respectively, as well as the lightweight double. The sweep row categories include the pair, the four, the lightweight four (for men only) and the eight with coxswain, which is perhaps the most spectacular rowing event of all.

For the lightweight events (the lightweight women's double and the lightweight men's double and four) the average weight of a men's crew must not exceed 70 kg for women, the average weight of a crew must not exceed 57 kg. All races cover a distance of 2,000 metres.

ATHENS 2004 Rowing

The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games Rowing events will be held at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre over a period of nine competition days, from 14 to 22 August. A total of 550 athletes (358 men and 192 women) from all over the world will take part in 14 Olympic Rowing events.

Men’s Olympic Rowing events are: single sculls, double sculls, lightweight double sculls, quadruple sculls, pair, four, lightweight four, and eight with coxswain. Women’s Olympic events are: single sculls, double sculls, lightweight double sculls, quadruple sculls, pair, and eight with coxswain.

History

Rowing first appeared as a competition sport in England in 1716. In 1793 it entered its University era, with its adoption by major colleges. In 1829, the annual traditional rowing regatta between the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford was established, marking the beginning of the sport’s rapid development.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin had a close association and fondness for rowing, which is expressed in the large number of his written works on the sport. In a 1922 publication entitled “Sport and Genius”, he wrote that the intense effort of oarsmen, the harmony and synchronisation of their movements and the overcoming of natural barriers make rowing an “ideal sport.” It is not by chance that in the Sorbonne International Conference of 1894 organised by de Coubertin, rowing had a prominent place in the planning of the first modern Olympic Games. Unfortunately, the first Olympic Rowing events planned for Easter 1896 in Piraeus were cancelled due to bad weather conditions and inadequate international participation. Rowing events for men were first held in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, while women’s events were first included in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

The International Rowing Federation (Fιdιration Internationale des Sociιtιs d’Aviron - FISA), founded in 1892, is the oldest international sports federation in the Olympic movement. The Federation’s headquarters are situated in Lausanne and its membership totals 115 countries. FISA’s main goals are to spread the sport globally and to ensure the maximum possible participation of countries in Olympic Games Rowing events.

The Hellenic Rowing Federation (E.K.O.F.N.S.) was founded in 1927, while the first rowing competitions took place at the Panhellenic Games held in 1906. EKOFNS has its headquarters at Mikrolimano in Piraeus and has a membership of more than 30 clubs.

Rowing has a long history in Greece. It is recorded that the oldest sporting club in modern Greece was the ERETON Club, which was dedicated solely to rowing. The club was founded in 1885 in Piraeus and is still active.

Source:The official website of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games

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