Image Credit: World Rowing

Paris will mark the final time we see lightweight rowers competing at the Olympic Games. Since their introduction in 1996, we have witnessed lightweight events take many forms and profoundly impact the rowing world. 

Around the globe, discussions have spanned generations of rowers regarding the merits of lightweight rowing in the Olympics. However, there is no denying that without the mighty lighties, the rowing world would look very different. 

There is a rich history of lightweight rowing at the Summer Olympics, and it is only right we look back through the Olympiads, giving each Games its own breakdown.

1996 – Atlanta

Atlanta was the first time that lightweight events were raced at the Olympics. Both men and women competed in the double sculls while the former also had the coxless four.

The idea was to include more nations who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to compete due to a lack of larger people. It certainly included more crews, and competition was tough. With everyone being the same size, the racing was tighter and more exciting than before.

The highlight of the regatta came from the men’s lightweight four. Italy were the defending World Champions and, at the time, held the fastest time in the world. However, they got knocked out of the competition in the semi-finals. The Danish were now favourites for gold after winning silver at the World Rowing Championships the year before, and would indeed go on to take the win in the event.

The final also featured the Irish, who led through the opening quarter of the race but were eventually pushed back by the Danish. Despite this disappointment, however, the result catalysed the development of Irish Rowing and increased their international representation.

Atlanta was a litmus test for the lightweight experiment, and the outcome was a success. There were more athletes, more representation, and more drama and thrill during the races!

2000 – Sydney

We all remember Sydney. It’s where something magical happened. We’ve all seen the race, felt the emotion, and remembered who was in that heavyweight men’s coxless four. However, the broader significance of that Olympiad is all too easy to forget.

For Brits, it’s often an afterthought that we also won the men’s eight. New Zealand won a tough race in the men’s single sculls with Rob Waddell climbing to the top of the podium, whilst Belarus’ Ekaterina Karsten came out on the winning side of a photo finish in the final of the women’s single sculls.

But what about the lightweights? The semi-final of the men’s lightweight coxless four at the Sydney Olympics is the embodiment of why we love to watch lightweight rowing so much. Once again, the Italians were the World Champions coming into the event and were set to win on the biggest stage of them all, while the South Africans were out to defy the odds and cause an upset.

With 150m to go, the South Africans surged into the lead, only to be chased by the usual Azurri sprint we all know, with the Italians coming out victorious. In a heated battle, it was not the South Africans who took second but Denmark.

The A-Final of the lightweight men’s coxless fours proved to be a much tougher show. The Danish beat the Italians to claim bronze, with France and Australia placing first and second, respectively.

Much like Atlanta, the Italians were World Champions and favourites to win but didn’t manage to work the race to their favour on the day. It all proves that a field of well-matched athletes does not only allow for athletes of more nations to be competitive, but for the racing itself to be tighter and more unpredictable. Everyone is as big and strong as each other, and so it often becomes a case of who wants it more. 

2004 – Athens

Many dramatic races unfolded in Athens at the 2004 Olympics, and the lightweight events were no exception. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the women’s lightweight double sculls final was the event to watch.

The Germans were the reigning World Champions, but in the lead-up to the Olympics, decided to change one of their crew. Favourites to win, they would have to work hard to get that gold medal but were expected to secure it regardless.

When the A-final came, it was the Australians who led most of the racing. Rowing well and strong, they held a good length over the Germans, with Romania and the Netherlands close behind.

At the halfway mark, the Romanians made a huge move in an attempt to take the lead, walking through the World Champions and closing in on the race leaders. Through a well-placed attack, they managed to take the lead and so began what can only be described as a race’s worth of drama crammed into the final 500m.

Going for gold, the defending Olympic Champions, Romania, held their lead, as the incumbent World Champions began their much-anticipated hunt of the Aussies. With tight times, small leads and us all on the edge of our seats, not only did the Germans manage to claim silver, but the Dutch crew sprinted through the tiring Australians to claim bronze. A real fight for a medal, this race was the exact kind we all like to watch: full of drama and upsets.

2008 – Beijing

In the lightweight men’s four, it would be the crew from Denmark that would absolutely dominate the race. Holding a lead of just over a length throughout their race, their opposition threw everything at them, only for the Danish to win by just under a length. A true display of dominance, it was a well-earned title and one that displays how lightweight rowing can be tight, but can still host favourites and top-class displays of talent.

The battle for second and third was still resident to the drama we all know and love in lightweight rowing. Canada, France, Poland and Great Britain all traded places for medals, with silver eventually going to Poland and Canada taking the bronze in a gripping finish.

On the sculling side, the men’s lightweight double also had a new champion, as Great Britain would claim their first medal in lightweight rowing. Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter were a highly technical crew, who fought to establish a lead of half a length over the Greeks at halfway, which extended to a length by 1500m. In a gripping sprint to the finish line that couldn’t come soon enough, the British double would take gold by half a length, just beating the Greeks, who themselves would cling on for silver over Denmark by the same margin.

The women’s lightweight double sculls featured a real fight for the Olympic title. No position seemed safe at any point in the race, but by halfway, it seemed like a title battle between Canada, Germany, and Finland.

The final 500m presented a bigger battle. Finland led, with the Netherlands close behind, and Canada and Germany too close to call. With a quick succession of four beeps, the Netherlands took gold, with Finland half a length behind, and Germany and Canada in a photo finish for bronze just feet away from Finland.

2012 – London

The London Olympics was the penultimate time we saw lightweight sweep rowing in the men’s lightweight fours. A heated race, the final 500m showed us why we love watching lightweight racing so much.

Drama could be found at every stroke of the race as positions were constantly chopping and changing. The famous Chambers brothers claimed silver on their home turf, with South Africa claiming gold.

With the top three crews all within 0.32s of each other, and fourth not far behind, the A-final of the lightweight men’s coxless fours is a prime example of how heated these events can be as the athletes are more evenly matched. With so much discourse about how rowing needs to be more exciting to watch, these events are exactly what we need to see.

In the women’s lightweight double sculls, perhaps the most famous finish of all transpired in front of a heavily partisan crowd that desperately sought a strong British result. There seemed a good chance for a medal, but almost no chance for gold. Bronze would be the expected result, a silver was a cracking outcome. But something seemed to click for the crew of Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking.

Third at 500m, second at the 1km mark, they had almost a length lead by the 1500m mark! Something seemed to click; they just had it. The finish couldn’t come soon enough, but the British crew prevailed and held their leading position to take home gold.

One of the most famous rowing photos was taken after the British double crossed the line, with their faces showing nothing but pure surprise. Everyone in the crowd was cheering, people at home were stunned, and Copeland and Hosking were in a state of shock, unable to believe they were Olympic Champions.

After it set in, their open mouths turned into infectious smiles as they embraced each other and conveyed nothing short of pure emotion. A dramatic, emotional win, this lightweight race will never be forgotten.

We cannot talk about drama at the London Olympics without mentioning the lightweight men’s double sculls. The home ground, the crowd cheering, and the favourites to win, Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter were set for Olympic glory. We’ve all seen the heartbreaking interview post-race, where both athletes are in tears, crying over a silver medal. But a silver medal is a huge accomplishment, so why the upset?

The drama started right at the top of the course, as the British crew set off and suddenly stopped early in the race. A hand up, a race delayed, and after what seemed an eternity in a state of unknown, it was revealed that a seat was broken. After some quick repairs, the race was rerun.

Going for gold, the Brits gave it their all, leading for much of the race, but were overhauled by the strong Danish crew of Mass Rasmussen and Rasmussen Quist Hansen right in the final stage of the race. Trying to pull a very large rabbit out of a very small hat, every move they made seemed to do nothing, and the finish line came before anything could be done.

Supported by Sir Steve Redgrave, their post-race interview was one that remains etched in our minds. It truly was the Olympics for lightweight drama and just showed us what lightweight rowing has to offer.

2016 – Rio

The O’Donovan brothers initially took the spotlight, not because of their skill or results, but because of their wit. It’s not often we watch interviews of crews who won silver from a nation that’s not our own, but our eyes were glued to these brothers.

With interviews so funny they made it onto the Graham Norton Show, where their quick-witted responses obscured exceptional talent that would fuel an even more impressive achievement, as these lads took silver in a tight race behind the French.

Our interest in the Irish grew, and Skibbereen was written onto the map in permanent marker. Short documentaries, books, and interviews became more common, as everyone wanted to know what was in that water.

Every junior rower started to shout “pull like a dog” to their crew mates during a 2k, and when asked what rowing is by a non-rower, every senior rower would say, “It’s a simple sport like.” We couldn’t get enough!

Ireland wasn’t a well-established rowing nation before Rio. But thanks to the Olympic silver, more athletes had opportunities to race internationally, and the national squad grew significantly. With the number of international medals won growing year-by-year, and clubs beginning to produce more competitive athletes, Rowing Ireland is now a prominent part of all international rowing competitions, with many A-finals including Irish rowers.

While we all had a chuckle at their interviews, who knew the knock-on effects that these lightweight brothers would have on the wider rowing community?

While the O’Donovan brothers’ silver medal was the shining light of the Rio Olympics, we cannot forget that Rio saw the last time lightweight sweep rowing was seen at the Olympics. The lightweight men’s coxless four was last run at Rio, marking the end of an era. The Swiss team were the ones to claim the final lightweight sweep gold. With a rich history having been written in the lightweight sweep events, the loss of the four was a big hit for the rowing world.

2020/1 – Tokyo

After their famous Rio run, the Irish lightweight men’s double finally claimed Olympic gold, beating Germany and Italy to the finish line. A testament to lightweight rowing, it showed that when physiology is limited, athletes must find speed through technique, producing more consistent rowers. The women’s side saw Italy take gold ahead of France and the Netherlands.

The heavyweight men’s single sculls at the Tokyo Olympics is one we’ll never forget. The favourite, Oliver Zeidler, got pushed into the B-Final, and the current silver medalist, Damir Martin, achieved bronze and silver was taken by Kjetil Borch. So why do I bring this up?

Gold in the single sculls is a monumental win. It truly takes a tough individual who always becomes a celebrity in their own right. Yet, nobody had heard of Tokyo’s gold medal winner, Stefanos Ntouskos, ahead of the Games. We all flocked to see who he was, who managed to battle the conditions to claim gold.

One thing stood out to me as I looked at his rowing history. He was an ex-lightweight! And when I say ex-lightweight, I mean that he only went heavyweight for Tokyo, having come sixth in the lightweight four at the Rio Olympics. Ntouskos showed that the lightweight attention to detail with technique allowed him to take gold ahead of all the big heavyweight beasts he came up against. Truly an interesting regatta, the Tokyo Olympics were a shock to many in the rowing world.

2024 – Paris

Paris marks the end of lightweight rowing at the Olympics. The winners of the men’s and women’s lightweight double sculls will be Olympic Champions forever. A title that doesn’t come often. It puts immense pressure on those competing but offers the greatest reward to the athletes who win the title.

We all have favourites to win. GB have had an immense Olympiad in the lightweight women’s double and the Irish are set for a second gold in the men’s boat. They can only hope that Paris presents reasonable conditions and nothing unexpected, for the upset would be the biggest of them all.

Paris marks the most significant Olympics of all for lightweights, as it’s the end of a 28-year-long Olympic journey. It’s seen many greats, many upsets, many pivotal moments and new celebrities in the rowing world. Paris wraps up all the highs and lows we’ve seen, and a combination of many years of hard work through something that’s that bit more challenging than rowing in its original form. While the Paris Olympic Champions will be the standing Olympic Champions forever, in my mind every gold-winning lightweight is a champion. 

2028 and beyond

2028 will see a lot of change, with beach sprints, a 1500m course and a lack of lightweights. A void will form in Los Angeles, as lightweight representation will be at an all-time low. I can be sure of one thing, it won’t be the end of lightweight rowing altogether.

There’s no doubt that the standard of the top-level lightweights will drop, as there won’t be the international competitions there were, so there will be no push for the top countries to produce high-level lightweight athletes.

Some may retire, some may choose to walk a heavyweight path, and some may look for more domestic events to dominate. For some of the big names like Imogen Grant, Paul and Gary O’Donovan and Jamie Copus, this may be the last that we hear of them in the lightweight world, but that doesn’t mean an end to hearing about lightweight rowing at all.

In Great Britain, BUCS is one of the biggest regattas of the year, as universities battle in Nottingham to claim the top university title as a part of a larger sports league across all British universities. Lightweights have been a huge part of that and likely will continue to be, as not only does it offer more races but it allows opportunities for smaller athletes to still get to be competitive in this sport we all love. I can’t see them taking that away anytime soon.

Across the pond, the USA has the famous IRA championships, where top university programs race to claim the national title. Operating almost as a separate club, the lightweight programs of some universities are as famous as their heavyweight counterparts, with universities like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Cornell being known worldwide for the quality of their lightweight squads. With the immensely strong recruitment pathways American colleges have, there’s no question that we will see the lightweights Stateside produce immensely talented crews.

The Oxford Cambridge Boat Race is one of the most watched rowing races, with over 250,000 people watching on the river bank and millions more on TV. One huge part of the Boat Race weekend happens the day before, with the lightweight boat race.

No squad is complete without everyone pushing each other, and with Oxford and Cambridge both being merged clubs, there is no doubt that higher-quality lightweights help to produce higher-quality heavyweights.

While the viewership figures for the lightweights may be lower, they are still a significant part of the Boat Race and will provide a home for up-and-coming lightweight rowers for years to come.

No matter the country you’re in, we all dream about winning Henley Royal Regatta. While there are no weight classes, that doesn’t mean that if you row your season as a lightweight, you can’t succeed at the most famous regatta in the world.

2021 saw Olympic lightweight men’s double sculls winners Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan win the double sculls at Henley, after the O’Donovan brothers had lost in the final of 2018.

While heavyweights are on paper faster, there is no denying that lightweights have come a long way. Regattas like Henley still give lightweights the chance to compete at an elite level and even the opportunity to come home victorious.

In Conclusion

While we will see the machinery of high-performance, international-level lightweight rowing grind to a halt, this is not the end. Some may choose to make the switch to heavyweight rowing, returning at future World Rowing and Olympic regattas; others may choose to try their hand at beach sprints, setting their sights on gold in Los Angeles.

It’s sad to say, but some names may just fade as rowing’s relentless metronome beats on, and leave the sport altogether. Whilst we can’t say for sure what the future will bring for all the lightweights out there, we can certainly reflect on what 28 years of Olympic-level lightweight rowing has brought us. We can be proud of everyone who has contributed to the monumental effect it has had on the rowing world, from gripping races and innovative techniques to new celebrities and nations being established on the rowing map.

Both the international scene and our day-to-day at the river will look very different without lightweight rowing. We must all look at what has been accomplished, and remember its significance in the rowing world we all love.

About The Author