Rowing

In 17th and 18th Century England, competitive rowing started to emerge. That history is visible in the still-hot rowing rivalries between such institutions as Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard. Olympic rowing events for men were first held in 1900, while women's events were first included in Montreal in 1976. Lightweight events were added in 1996. Rowing was contested in the first Pan American Games in 1951.

The boats (shells) were once made of wood, but are now mostly synthetic, made with carbon fibre and plastic. Each race is a test of endurance, where boats can travel up to 10 metres per second. Winning a 2,000-metre race requires sprinting for half of it. In a 500-metre home stretch, crews can reach rowing speeds of 47 strokes per minute.

Rowing events are contested by individuals, pairs and crews of four and eight. Races are held in the heavyweight (or "open") category or in the lightweight category. Each covers a distance of 2,000 metres divided into six lanes, in a river, canal or lake-type competition venue. There are preliminary heats, repechages (repeat rounds), semifinals and finals. The "A" final determines the first six places and the "B" final determines seventh through 12 places.

The races take place under the supervision of umpires, who are members of the jury for every event. The jury members are placed at various locations on and off the competition course: the starting line; along the course of the race in the competition lanes; the finishing line; the identity verification stage of the crews before their embarkation onto the boats; the weighing-in of the athletes; the weighing-in of boats; and, in general, in all areas directly related to the competition, the athletes and their equipment.

Athletes

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