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Rowing (sport)

Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is divided into two disciplines: sculling and sweep rowing. In sculling, each rower holds two oars—one in each hand, while in sweep rowing each rower holds one oar with both hands. There are several boat classes in which athletes may compete, ranging from single sculls, occupied by one person, to shells with eight rowers and a coxswain, called eights. There are a wide variety of course types and formats of racing, but most elite and championship level racing is conducted on calm water courses 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long with several lanes marked using buoys.

Rowing
An eight (top) and single sculls (bottom)
Highest governing bodyWorld Rowing Federation
First modern-day competition1715 [a]
Characteristics
ContactNo
Team members1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 9 (depending on boat class and whether there is a coxswain)
Mixed-sexSeparate competitions
TypeWater sport, outdoor
EquipmentRacing shell, oars
VenueRiver, artificial lake, canal, ocean
GlossaryGlossary of rowing terms
Presence
Olympicsince 1900 (men only); since 1976 (both men and women)
Paralympicsince 2008
World GamesIndoor: 2017

Modern rowing as a competitive sport can be traced to the early 17th century when professional watermen held races (regattas) on the River Thames in London, England. Often prizes were offered by the London Guilds and Livery Companies. Amateur competition began towards the end of the 18th century with the arrival of "boat clubs" at British public schools. Similarly, clubs were formed at colleges within Oxford and Cambridge in the early nineteenth century. Public rowing clubs were beginning at the same time in England, Germany, and the United States. The first American college rowing club was formed in 1843 at Yale College.

Rowing is one of the oldest Olympic sports. Though it was on the programme for the 1896 games, racing did not take place due to bad weather.[1] Male rowers have competed since the 1900 Summer Olympics. Women's rowing was added to the Olympic programme in 1976. Today, there are fourteen boat classes which race at the Olympics.[2] In addition, the sport's governing body, the World Rowing Federation, holds the annual World Rowing Championships with twenty-two boat classes.

Across six continents, 150 countries now have rowing federations that participate in the sport.[3] Major domestic competitions take place in dominant rowing nations and include The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta in the United Kingdom, the Australian Rowing Championships in Australia, the Harvard–Yale Regatta and Head of the Charles Regatta in the United States, and the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in Canada. Many other competitions often exist for racing between clubs, schools, and universities in each nation.

History

 
A rowing competition is recounted in the Aeneid, illustrated in this sixteenth-century plaque
 
The finish of the Doggett's Coat and Badge. Painting by Thomas Rowlandson.

An Egyptian funerary inscription of 1430 BC records that the warrior Amenhotep (Amenophis) II was also renowned for his feats of oarsmanship, though there is some disagreement among scholars over whether there were rowing contests in ancient Egypt.[4] In the Aeneid, Virgil mentions rowing forming part of the funeral games arranged by Aeneas in honour of his father.[5] In the 13th century, Venetian festivals called regata included boat races among others.[6]

The first known "modern" rowing races began from competition among the professional watermen in the United Kingdom that provided ferry and taxi service on the River Thames in London. Prizes for wager races were often offered by the London Guilds and Livery Companies or wealthy owners of riverside houses.[5] The oldest surviving such race, Doggett's Coat and Badge was first contested in 1715 and is still held annually from London Bridge to Chelsea.[7] During the 19th century these races were to become numerous and popular, attracting large crowds. Prize matches amongst professionals similarly became popular on other rivers throughout Great Britain in the 19th century, notably on the Tyne. In America, the earliest known race dates back to 1756 in New York, when a pettiauger defeated a Cape Cod whaleboat in a race.[8]

Amateur competition in England began towards the end of the 18th century. Documentary evidence from this period is sparse, but it is known that the Monarch Boat Club of Eton College and the Isis Club of Westminster School were both in existence in the 1790s. The Star Club and Arrow Club in London for gentlemen amateurs were also in existence before 1800. At the University of Oxford bumping races were first organised in 1815 when Brasenose College and Jesus College boat clubs had the first annual race[9] while at Cambridge the first recorded races were in 1827.[10] Brasenose beat Jesus to win Oxford University's first Head of the River; the two clubs claim to be the oldest established boat clubs in the world. The Boat Race between Oxford University and Cambridge University first took place in 1829, and was the second intercollegiate sporting event (following the first Varsity Cricket Match by 2 years). The interest in the first Boat Race and subsequent matches led the town of Henley-on-Thames to begin hosting an annual regatta in 1839.[11]

Founded in 1818, Leander Club is the world's oldest public rowing club.[12] The second oldest club which still exists is the Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club which was founded 1836 and marked the beginning of rowing as an organized sport in Germany.[13] During the 19th century, as in England, wager matches in North America between professionals became very popular attracting vast crowds. Narragansett Boat Club was founded in 1838 exclusively for rowing. During an 1837 parade in Providence, R.I, a group of boatmen were pulling a longboat on wheels, which carried the oldest living survivor of the 1772 Gaspee Raid. They boasted to the crowd that they were the fastest rowing crew on the Bay. A group of Providence locals took issue with this and challenged them to race, which the Providence group summarily won. The six-man core of that group went on in 1838 to found NBC.[14] Detroit Boat Club was founded in 1839 and is the second oldest continuously operated rowing club in the U.S. In 1843, the first American college rowing club was formed at Yale University.[15] The Harvard–Yale Regatta is the oldest intercollegiate sporting event in the United States,[16][17] having been contested every year since 1852 (excepting interruptions for wars and the COVID-19 pandemic).

 
Philadelphia's iconic Boathouse Row, Home of the Schuylkill Navy

The Schuylkill Navy is an association of amateur rowing clubs of Philadelphia. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States.[18] The member clubs are all on the Schuylkill River where it flows through Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, mostly on the historic Boathouse Row. The success of the Schuylkill Navy and similar organizations contributed heavily to the extinction of professional rowing and the sport's current status as an amateur sport.[19] At its founding, it had nine clubs; today, there are 12. At least 23 other clubs have belonged to the Navy at various times.[20] Many of the clubs have a rich history, and have produced a large number of Olympians and world-class competitors.[21]

The sport's governing body, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron, was founded in 1892,[22] and is the oldest international sports federation in the Olympic movement.[23]

FISA first organized a European Rowing Championships in 1893.[22] An annual World Rowing Championships was introduced in 1962.[17][24] Rowing has also been conducted at the Olympic Games since 1900 (cancelled at the first modern Games in 1896 due to bad weather).[25]

History of women's rowing

Women row in all boat classes, from single scull to coxed eights, across the same age ranges and standards as men, from junior amateur through university-level to elite athlete.[26][27] Typically men and women compete in separate crews although mixed crews and mixed team events also take place.[28] Coaching for women is similar to that for men.[29] The world's first women's rowing team was formed in 1896 at the Furnivall Sculling Club in London.[30] The club, with signature colors a very distinct myrtle and gold, began as a women's club, but eventually allowed the admittance of men in 1901.[30]

The first international women's races were the 1954 European Rowing Championships.[31] The introduction of women's rowing at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal increased the growth of women's rowing because it created the incentive for national rowing federations to support women's events. Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London included six events for women compared with eight for men.[32] In the US, rowing is an NCAA sport for women but not for men;[33] though it is one of the country's oldest collegiate sports, the difference is in large part due to the requirements of Title IX.

At the international level, women's rowing traditionally has been dominated by Eastern European countries, such as Romania, Russia, and Bulgaria, although other countries such as Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Great Britain and New Zealand often field competitive teams.[32] The United States also has had very competitive crews, and in recent years these crews have become even more competitive given the surge in women's collegiate rowing.[34] Now there is usually the same number of girls and boys in a group.

Technique

While rowing, the athlete sits in the boat facing toward the stern and uses the oars (also interchangeably referred to as "blades"), which are held in place by oarlocks (also referred to as "gates"), to propel the boat forward (towards the bow). Rowing is distinguished from paddling in that the oar is attached to the boat using an oarlock, where in paddling there is no oarlock or attachment of the paddle to the boat.

Women's single sculls final at the 28th Summer Universiade 2015

The rowing stroke may be characterized by two fundamental reference points: the catch, which is placement of the oar spoon in the water, and the extraction, also known as the finish or release, when the rower removes the oar spoon from the water.

After the oar is placed in the water at the catch, the rower applies pressure to the oar levering the boat forward which is called the drive phase of the stroke. Once the rower extracts the oar from the water, the recovery phase begins, setting up the rower's body for the next stroke.

At the catch, the rower places the oar in the water and applies pressure to the oar by pushing the seat toward the bow of the boat by extending the legs, thus pushing the boat through the water. The point of placement of the spoon in the water is a relatively fixed point about which the oar serves as a lever to propel the boat. As the rower's legs approach full extension, the rower pivots the torso toward the bow of the boat and then finally pulls the arms towards his or her chest. The hands meet the chest right above the diaphragm.

At the end of the stroke, with the oar spoon still in the water, the hands drop slightly to unload the oar so that spring energy stored in the bend of the oar gets transferred to the boat which eases removing the oar from the water and minimizes energy wasted on lifting water above the surface (splashing).

The recovery phase follows the drive. The recovery starts with the extraction and involves coordinating the body movements with the goal to move the oar back to the catch position. In extraction, the rower pushes down on the oar handle to quickly lift the spoon out of the water and rapidly rotates the oar so that the spoon is parallel to the water. This process is sometimes referred to as feathering the blade. Simultaneously, the rower pushes the oar handle away from the chest. The spoon should emerge from the water perpendicular or square and be feathered immediately once clear of the water. After feathering and extending the arms, the rower pivots the body forward. Once the hands are past the knees, the rower compresses the legs which moves the seat towards the stern of the boat. The leg compression occurs relatively slowly compared to the rest of the stroke, which affords the rower a moment to recover, and allows the boat to glide through the water. The gliding of the boat through the water during recovery is often called run.

A controlled slide is necessary to maintain momentum and achieve optimal boat run. However, various teaching methods disagree about the optimal relation in timing between drive and recovery. Near the end of the recovery, the rower squares the oar spoon into perpendicular orientation with respect to the water and begins another stroke.[35][36]

Boat classes

Broadly, there are two ways to row, sometimes called disciplines:[37]

  • In sweep rowing, each rower has one oar, held with both hands.[38] There are usually an even number of rowers – two, four or eight. Each rower's oar will extend to their port or starboard. In the United Kingdom, the port side is referred to as stroke side and the starboard side as bow side; this applies even if the stroke oarsman is rowing on the bow side and/or the bow oarsman on the stroke side.
  • In sculling each rower has two oars (or sculls), one in each hand. Sculling is usually done without a coxswain in quads, doubles or singles. The oar in the sculler's right hand extends to port and the oar in the left hand extends to starboard.

Within each discipline, there are several boat classes. A single regatta (series of races) will often feature races for many boat classes. They are classified using:

  • Number of rowers: in all forms of modern competition the number is either 1, 2, 4, or 8.
  • Whether there is a coxswain (also referred to as cox). Coxless sweep boats are sometimes called "straight", while sculling boats are assumed to be coxless unless stated otherwise.

Although sculling and sweep boats are generally identical to each other (except having different riggers), they are referred to using different names:

Sculling boat classes:

Boat abbreviation Boat class
1x Single sculls (or "single" or "scull")
2x Double sculls
4x Coxless quadruple sculls or "quad"
4x+ Coxed quadruple sculls ("coxed quad", usually for juniors)
8x+ Octuple sculls (always coxed, usually for juniors and exhibition)

Sweep boat classes:

Boat abbreviation Boat class
2- Coxless pair or "straight pair"
2+ Coxed pair
4- Coxless four or "straight four"
4+ Coxed four
8+ Eight (always coxed)

Equipment

Racing shell

 
Racing shells stored in a boathouse.
 
A damaged 8+, showing cross section near the bows and the skin construction.

Racing boats (often called shells) are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to reduce drag in the water. There is some trade off between boat speed and stability in choice of hull shape. They usually have a fin towards the rear, to help prevent roll and yaw and to increase the effectiveness of the rudder.

Originally made from wood, shells are now almost always made from a composite material (usually a double skin of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic with a sandwich of honeycomb material) for strength and weight advantages. World Rowing rules specify minimum weights for each class of boat so that no individual team will gain a great advantage from the use of expensive materials or technology.

Smaller sculling boats are usually steered by the scullers pulling harder on one side or the other while larger boats often have a rudder, controlled by the coxswain, if present, or by one of the crew using a cable attached to one of the shoes.

With the smaller boats, specialist versions of the shells for sculling can be made lighter. The riggers in sculling apply the forces symmetrically to each side of the boat, whereas in sweep oared racing these forces are staggered alternately along the boat. The sweep oared boat has to be stiffer to handle these unmatched forces, so consequently requires more bracing and is usually heavier – a pair (2-) is usually a more robust boat than a double scull (2x) for example, and being heavier is also slower when used as a double scull. In theory, this could also apply to the 4x and 8x, but most rowing clubs cannot afford to have a dedicated large hull which might be rarely used and instead generally opt for versatility in their fleet by using stronger shells which can be rigged for either sweep rowing or sculling. The symmetrical forces also make sculling more efficient than rowing: the double scull is faster than the coxless pair, and the quadruple scull is faster than the coxless four.

Many adjustments can be made to the equipment to accommodate the physiques of the crew. Collectively these adjustments are known as the boat's rigging.

Oar

Oars, sometimes referred to as blades, are used to propel the boat. They are long (sculling: 250–300 cm; sweep oar: 340–360 cm) poles with one flat end about 50 cm long and 25 cm wide, called the spoon. Classic blades were made out of wood, but modern blades are made from more expensive and durable synthetic material, the most common being carbon fiber.

An 'oar' is often referred to as a blade in the case of sweep oar rowing and as a scull in the case of sculling. A sculling oar is shorter and has a smaller spoon area than the equivalent sweep oar. The combined spoon area of a pair of sculls is however greater than that of a single sweep oar, so the oarsman when sculling is working against more water than when rowing sweep-oared. They are able to do this because the body action in sculling is more anatomically efficient (due to the symmetry).

The spoon of oars is normally painted with the colours of the club to which they belong. This greatly simplifies identification of boats at a distance. As many sports teams have logos printed on their jerseys, rowing clubs have specifically painted blades that each team is associated with.

Training equipment

Indoor rowing (on indoor rower, or rowing tank) is a way to train technique and strength by going through the same motions as rowing, with resistance(usually a large tank of water). Indoor rowing is helpful when there are no rowable bodies of water near by, or weather conditions don't permit rowing.

A rowing tank is an indoor facility which attempts to mimic the conditions rowers face on open water. Rowing tanks are used primarily for off-season rowing, muscle-specific conditioning and technique training, or simply when bad weather prevents open-water training.

 
A row of Concept2 "Model C" ergometers

Ergometer rowing machines (colloquially ergs or ergo) simulate the rowing action and provide a means of training on land when waterborne training is restricted, and of measuring rowing fitness. Ergometers do not simulate the lateral balance challenges, the exact resistance of water, or the exact motions of true rowing including the sweep of the oar handles. For that reason ergometer scores are generally not used as the sole selection criterion for crews (colloquially "ergs don't float"), and technique training is limited to the basic body position and movements. However, this action can still allow a workout comparable to those experienced on the water. Indoor rowing has become popular as a sport in its own right with numerous indoor competitions (and the annual World Championship CRASH-B Sprints in Boston) during the winter off-season.[39]

Race formats

There are several formats for rowing races, often called "regattas". The two most common are side by side and head races.

Side by side

Most races that are held in the spring and summer feature side-by-side,[b] or sprint[c] racing; all the boats start at the same time from a stationary position, and the winner is the boat that crosses the finish line first. The number of boats in a race typically varies between two (which is sometimes referred to as a dual race) to eight, but any number of boats can start together if the course is wide enough.

 
A side by side race at the 2012 Olympic Games – Men's lightweight coxless four

The standard length races for the Olympics and the World Rowing Championships is 2 kilometres (1.24 mi) long. In the United States, some scholastic (high school) races are 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi), while many youth races are the standard 2 kilometres. Masters rowers (rowers older than 27) often race 1,000 m. However the race distance can and does vary from dashes or sprints, which may be 500 metres (1,640 ft) long, to longer dual races like the 6.8 kilometres (4.2 mi) Boat Race.

Two traditional non-standard distance shell races are the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge and the Harvard-Yale Boat Race which cover courses of approximately 4 miles (6.44 km). The Henley Royal Regatta is also raced upon a non-standard distance at 2,112 meters (1 mile, 550 yards).

In general, multi-boat competitions are organized in a series of rounds, with the fastest boats in each heat qualifying for the next round. The losing boats from each heat may be given a second chance to qualify through a repechage. The World Rowing Championships offers multi-lane racing in heats, finals and repechages. At Henley Royal Regatta two crews compete side by side in each round, in a straightforward knock-out format, with no repechages.

 
Two crews racing in the annual Lagan Head of the River, Belfast. The closer boat is being overtaken by the boat on the far side.

Head races

Head races are time trial / processional races that take place from autumn (fall) to early spring (depending on local conditions). Boats begin with a rolling start at intervals of 10 – 20 seconds, and are timed over a set distance. Head courses usually vary in length from 2,000 metres (1.24 mi) to 12,000 metres (7.46 mi), though there are longer races such as the Boston Rowing Marathon and shorter such as Pairs Head.

The oldest, and arguably most famous, head race is the Head of the River Race, founded by Steve Fairbairn in 1926 which takes place each March on the river Thames in London, United Kingdom. Head racing was exported to the United States in the 1950s, and the Head of the Charles Regatta held each October on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, United States is now the largest rowing event in the world.

These processional races are known as Head Races, because, as with bumps racing, the fastest crew is awarded the title Head of the River (as in "head of the class"). It was not deemed feasible to run bumps racing on the Tideway, so a timed format was adopted and soon caught on.

Time trials are sometimes used to determine who competes in an event where there is a limited number of entries, for example, the qualifying races for Henley Royal Regatta, and rowing on and getting on for the Oxford and Cambridge Bumps races respectively.

Other race formats

A "bump" during Torpids at the University of Oxford, 1999: Jesus College Men's 1st VIII catch Hertford College.

A bumps race is a multi-day race beginning with crews lined up along the river at set intervals. They start simultaneously and all pursue the boat ahead while avoiding being bumped by a boat from behind. If a crew overtakes or makes physical contact with the crew ahead, a bump is awarded. As a result, damage to boats and equipment is common during bumps racing. To avoid damage the cox of the crew being bumped may concede the bump before contact is actually made. The next day, the bumping crew will start ahead of any crews that have been bumped. The positions at the end of the last race are used to set the positions on the first day of the races the next year. Oxford and Cambridge Universities hold bumps races for their respective colleges twice a year, and there are also Town Bumps races in both cities, open to non-university crews. Oxford's races are organised by City of Oxford Rowing Club[42] and Cambridge's are organised by the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association.

The stake format was often used in early American races. Competitors line up at the start, race to a stake, moored boat, or buoy some distance away, and return. The 180° turn requires mastery of steering. These races are popular with spectators because one may watch both the start and finish. Usually only two boats would race at once to avoid collision. The Green Mountain Head Regatta continues to use the stake format, but it is run as a head race with an interval start.[43] A similar type of racing is found in UK and Irish coastal rowing, where a number of boats race out to a given point from the coast and then return fighting rough water all the way. In Irish coastal rowing the boats are in individual lanes with the races consisting of up to 3 turns to make the race distance 2.3 km.

Boat positions

 
The boat positions within an 8+ rowing shell

Rowers in multi-rower boats are numbered sequentially from the bow aft. The number-one rower is called the bowman, or just 'bow', whilst the rower closest to the stern is called the 'strokeman' or just 'stroke'. There are some exceptions to this – some UK coastal rowers, and in France, Spain, and Italy rowers number from stern to bow.

In addition to this, certain crew members have other titles and roles. In an 8+ the stern pair are responsible for setting the stroke rate and rhythm for the rest of the boat to follow. The middle four (sometimes called the "engine room" or "power house") are usually the less technical, but more powerful rowers in the crew, whilst the bow pair are the more technical and generally regarded as the pair to set up the balance of the boat. They also have most influence on the line the boat steers.

Coxswain

 
A coxswain (far right) sitting in the stern of the boat, facing the rowers, at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

The coxswain (or simply the cox) is the member who steers the boat using rudder strings, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers, by communicating to the crew, often through a device called a cox box and speakers. The cox usually sits in the stern of the boat facing the rowers but in bowloaders, usually seen in the coxed four and coxed pair types of boat, the coxswain lies in the bow.

It is an advantage for the coxswain to be light as this requires less effort for the crew to propel the boat. In many competitive events there is a minimum weight, 55 kilograms (121 lb) under World Rowing rules, set for the coxswain to prevent unfair advantage. If a coxswain is under the minimum weight allowance (underweight), they may have to carry weights in the boat such as sandbags.[44]

Athlete categories

Age

At the elite level, the World Rowing Federation recognizes an under 19 category for athletes who are age 18 or less by the end of the calendar year for a given event. The World Rowing Junior Championships is the world championship event for this category. Athletes under 23 years of age by the end of the calendar year may compete in the under 23 category, and the World Rowing U23 Championships is held for these athletes. World Rowing uses the term "Senior" for events open to any age.[45]

Under World Rowing rules, athletes may compete in "Masters" categories when they reach age 27. World Rowing holds the World Rowing Masters Regatta for these athletes, at which there are several age subcategories.[45]

Weight

Lightweight boat classes are restricted by the rowers' weight. According to the World Rowing Federation, this weight category was introduced "to encourage more universality in the sport especially among nations with less statuesque people". The first lightweight events were held at the World Championships in 1974 for men and 1985 for women. Lightweight rowing was added to the Olympics in 1996. As of 2021, the only Olympic lightweight boat classes are the men's and women's double sculls.

The World Rowing Federation lightweight standards are:

  • Men: Crew average 70 kilograms (150 lb) – no rower over 72.5 kilograms (160 lb)
  • Women: Crew average 57 kilograms (126 lb) – no rower over 59 kilograms (130 lb)

At the collegiate level in the United States, the lightweight weight requirements can be different depending on competitive season. For fall regattas (typically head races), the lightweight cutoff for men is 165.0 lb. and 135.0 lb. for women. In the spring season (typically sprint races), the lightweight cutoff for men is 160.0 lb., with a boat average of 155.0 lb. for the crew; for women, the lightweight cutoff is 130.0 lb.[46]

For juniors in the United States, the lightweight cutoff for men is 150.0 lb.; for women, it is 130.0 lb. In the fall the weight limits are increased for women, with the cutoff being 135 lb.

Pararowing

 
Oksana Masters & Rob Jones of the US in the mixed sculls (TA 2x) final at the Paralympics, London 2012. The rowers are fixed to the seat.

Adaptive rowing is a special category of races for those with physical disabilities. Under World Rowing rules there are 5 boat classes for adaptive rowers; mixed (2 men and 2 women plus cox) LTA (Legs, Trunk, Arms), mixed intellectual disability (2 men and 2 women plus cox) LTA (Legs, Trunk, Arms), mixed (1 man and 1 woman) TA (Trunk and Arms), and men's and women's AS (Arms and Shoulders). Events are held at the World Rowing Championships and were also held at the 2008 Summer Paralympics.[47]

Governing bodies

The World Rowing Federation, known as FISA until recently, is the sport's international governing body. World Rowing runs the World Rowing Championships, as well as several other international elite competitions including the World Rowing Cup and World Rowing Junior Championships. World Rowing also sponsors rowing at the Olympics.

World Rowing has over 155 national member federations who govern the sport in their respective nations.[48]

International competitions

 
Rowing at the Olympic Games on a German Stamp for the 1976 Olympic Games

The Olympic Games are held every four years, where only select boat classes are raced (14 in total):

At the end of each year, the FISA holds the World Rowing Championships with events in 22 different boat classes. Athletes generally consider the Olympic classes to be premier events.[49] In 2017 FISA voted to adopt a new Olympic programme for 2020, whereby the lightweight men's coxless four event was replaced by the women's heavyweight coxless four. This was done to ensure that rowing had a gender equal Olympic programme.[2] During Olympic years only non-Olympic boats compete at the World Championships.

Fitness and health

Rowing is one of the few bearing sports that exercises all the major muscle groups, including quads, biceps, triceps, lats, glutes and abdominal muscles.[50] The sport also improves cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. High-performance rowers tend to be tall and muscular:[51] although extra weight does increase the drag on the boat, the larger athletes' increased power tends to compensate. The increased power is achieved through the increased leverage on the oar provided by the longer limbs of the athlete. In multi-person boats (2,4, or 8), the lightest person typically rows in the bow seat at the front of the boat.

Rowing is a low-impact sport with movement only in defined ranges, so that twist and sprain injuries are rare. However, the repetitive rowing action can put strain on knee joints, the spine and the tendons of the forearm, and inflammation of these are the most common rowing injuries.[52] If one rows with poor technique, especially rowing with a curved rather than straight back, other injuries may surface, including back pains and wrist injuries. Blisters occur for almost all rowers, especially in the beginning of one's rowing career, as every stroke puts pressure on the hands, though rowing frequently tends to harden hands and generate protective calluses. Holding the oars too tightly or making adjustments to technique may cause recurring or new blisters, as it is common to feather the blade. Another common injury is getting "track bites", thin cuts on the back of one's calf or thigh caused by contact with the seat tracks at either end of the stroke.[53]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Doggett's Coat and Badge was first contested in 1715, rowing as a sport has recorded references back to Ancient Egyptian times.
  2. ^ "Side-by-side" is the term used in the British Rowing Rules of Racing.[40]
  3. ^ "Sprint race" is the term used in the USRowing Rules of Rowing.[41]

Footnotes

  1. ^ "International Olympic Committee – History of rowing at the Olympic games" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games rowing programme announced". worldrowing.com. June 12, 2017. from the original on September 11, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  3. ^ "FISA - worldrowing.com". www.worldrowing.com. from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Ancient Egyptian Rowing Stroke: Propelling the Boats of Gods and Men". Hear The Boat Sing. March 2, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Burnell, Richard; Page, Geoffrey (1997). The Brilliants: A History of the Leander Club. Leander Club. ISBN 978-0-9500061-1-6.
  6. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
  7. ^ "Doggett's Coat & Badge Race". Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section. from the original on September 28, 2006. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
  8. ^ . Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2007.
  9. ^ "A History of Oxford College Rowing". from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved January 17, 2007.
  10. ^ . Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2007.
  11. ^ Burnell, Richard (1989). Henley Royal Regatta: A celebration of 150 years. William Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-434-98134-2.
  12. ^ "History - Leander Club". Leander Club. from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  13. ^ "Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club" (in German). Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club. from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  14. ^ Narragansett Boat Club: http://www.rownbc.org/?id=club-info/index 2018-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Begin-1849images". from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
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  35. ^ . Archived from the original on June 9, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  36. ^ . The Amateur Rowing Association. Archived from the original on February 19, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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  38. ^ Garrett, William E.; Kirkendall, Donald T. (2000). Exercise and Sport Science. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-683-03421-9.
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  46. ^ . PatriotLeague.org. April 18, 2008. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
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  52. ^ Hosea, Timothy M.; Hannafin, Jo A. (April 26, 2012). "Rowing Injuries". Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. 4 (3): 236–245. doi:10.1177/1941738112442484. PMC 3435926. PMID 23016093.
  53. ^ Inc, The Independent Rowing News (June 8, 1997). Rowing News. The Independent Rowing News Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)

Further reading

External links

  • World Rowing – website of the World Rowing Federation
  • River & Rowing Museum – Rowing Museum in Henley on Thames
  • How Rowing Really Works
  • The Physics of Rowing
  • The maximum speed of rowing boats

rowing, sport, rowing, sometimes, called, crew, united, states, sport, racing, boats, using, oars, differs, from, paddling, sports, that, rowing, oars, attached, boat, using, oarlocks, while, paddles, connected, boat, rowing, divided, into, disciplines, sculli. Rowing sometimes called crew in the United States is the sport of racing boats using oars It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks while paddles are not connected to the boat Rowing is divided into two disciplines sculling and sweep rowing In sculling each rower holds two oars one in each hand while in sweep rowing each rower holds one oar with both hands There are several boat classes in which athletes may compete ranging from single sculls occupied by one person to shells with eight rowers and a coxswain called eights There are a wide variety of course types and formats of racing but most elite and championship level racing is conducted on calm water courses 2 kilometres 1 2 mi long with several lanes marked using buoys RowingAn eight top and single sculls bottom Highest governing bodyWorld Rowing FederationFirst modern day competition1715 a CharacteristicsContactNoTeam members1 2 3 4 5 or 9 depending on boat class and whether there is a coxswain Mixed sexSeparate competitionsTypeWater sport outdoorEquipmentRacing shell oarsVenueRiver artificial lake canal oceanGlossaryGlossary of rowing termsPresenceOlympicsince 1900 men only since 1976 both men and women Paralympicsince 2008World GamesIndoor 2017Modern rowing as a competitive sport can be traced to the early 17th century when professional watermen held races regattas on the River Thames in London England Often prizes were offered by the London Guilds and Livery Companies Amateur competition began towards the end of the 18th century with the arrival of boat clubs at British public schools Similarly clubs were formed at colleges within Oxford and Cambridge in the early nineteenth century Public rowing clubs were beginning at the same time in England Germany and the United States The first American college rowing club was formed in 1843 at Yale College Rowing is one of the oldest Olympic sports Though it was on the programme for the 1896 games racing did not take place due to bad weather 1 Male rowers have competed since the 1900 Summer Olympics Women s rowing was added to the Olympic programme in 1976 Today there are fourteen boat classes which race at the Olympics 2 In addition the sport s governing body the World Rowing Federation holds the annual World Rowing Championships with twenty two boat classes Across six continents 150 countries now have rowing federations that participate in the sport 3 Major domestic competitions take place in dominant rowing nations and include The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta in the United Kingdom the Australian Rowing Championships in Australia the Harvard Yale Regatta and Head of the Charles Regatta in the United States and the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in Canada Many other competitions often exist for racing between clubs schools and universities in each nation Contents 1 History 1 1 History of women s rowing 2 Technique 3 Boat classes 4 Equipment 4 1 Racing shell 4 2 Oar 4 3 Training equipment 5 Race formats 5 1 Side by side 5 2 Head races 5 3 Other race formats 6 Boat positions 6 1 Coxswain 7 Athlete categories 7 1 Age 7 2 Weight 7 3 Pararowing 8 Governing bodies 9 International competitions 10 Fitness and health 11 See also 12 References 12 1 Notes 12 2 Footnotes 13 Further reading 14 External linksHistory EditMain article History of rowing A rowing competition is recounted in the Aeneid illustrated in this sixteenth century plaque The finish of the Doggett s Coat and Badge Painting by Thomas Rowlandson An Egyptian funerary inscription of 1430 BC records that the warrior Amenhotep Amenophis II was also renowned for his feats of oarsmanship though there is some disagreement among scholars over whether there were rowing contests in ancient Egypt 4 In the Aeneid Virgil mentions rowing forming part of the funeral games arranged by Aeneas in honour of his father 5 In the 13th century Venetian festivals called regata included boat races among others 6 The first known modern rowing races began from competition among the professional watermen in the United Kingdom that provided ferry and taxi service on the River Thames in London Prizes for wager races were often offered by the London Guilds and Livery Companies or wealthy owners of riverside houses 5 The oldest surviving such race Doggett s Coat and Badge was first contested in 1715 and is still held annually from London Bridge to Chelsea 7 During the 19th century these races were to become numerous and popular attracting large crowds Prize matches amongst professionals similarly became popular on other rivers throughout Great Britain in the 19th century notably on the Tyne In America the earliest known race dates back to 1756 in New York when a pettiauger defeated a Cape Cod whaleboat in a race 8 Amateur competition in England began towards the end of the 18th century Documentary evidence from this period is sparse but it is known that the Monarch Boat Club of Eton College and the Isis Club of Westminster School were both in existence in the 1790s The Star Club and Arrow Club in London for gentlemen amateurs were also in existence before 1800 At the University of Oxford bumping races were first organised in 1815 when Brasenose College and Jesus College boat clubs had the first annual race 9 while at Cambridge the first recorded races were in 1827 10 Brasenose beat Jesus to win Oxford University s first Head of the River the two clubs claim to be the oldest established boat clubs in the world The Boat Race between Oxford University and Cambridge University first took place in 1829 and was the second intercollegiate sporting event following the first Varsity Cricket Match by 2 years The interest in the first Boat Race and subsequent matches led the town of Henley on Thames to begin hosting an annual regatta in 1839 11 Founded in 1818 Leander Club is the world s oldest public rowing club 12 The second oldest club which still exists is the Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club which was founded 1836 and marked the beginning of rowing as an organized sport in Germany 13 During the 19th century as in England wager matches in North America between professionals became very popular attracting vast crowds Narragansett Boat Club was founded in 1838 exclusively for rowing During an 1837 parade in Providence R I a group of boatmen were pulling a longboat on wheels which carried the oldest living survivor of the 1772 Gaspee Raid They boasted to the crowd that they were the fastest rowing crew on the Bay A group of Providence locals took issue with this and challenged them to race which the Providence group summarily won The six man core of that group went on in 1838 to found NBC 14 Detroit Boat Club was founded in 1839 and is the second oldest continuously operated rowing club in the U S In 1843 the first American college rowing club was formed at Yale University 15 The Harvard Yale Regatta is the oldest intercollegiate sporting event in the United States 16 17 having been contested every year since 1852 excepting interruptions for wars and the COVID 19 pandemic Philadelphia s iconic Boathouse Row Home of the Schuylkill Navy The Schuylkill Navy is an association of amateur rowing clubs of Philadelphia Founded in 1858 it is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States 18 The member clubs are all on the Schuylkill River where it flows through Fairmount Park in Philadelphia mostly on the historic Boathouse Row The success of the Schuylkill Navy and similar organizations contributed heavily to the extinction of professional rowing and the sport s current status as an amateur sport 19 At its founding it had nine clubs today there are 12 At least 23 other clubs have belonged to the Navy at various times 20 Many of the clubs have a rich history and have produced a large number of Olympians and world class competitors 21 The sport s governing body Federation Internationale des Societes d Aviron was founded in 1892 22 and is the oldest international sports federation in the Olympic movement 23 FISA first organized a European Rowing Championships in 1893 22 An annual World Rowing Championships was introduced in 1962 17 24 Rowing has also been conducted at the Olympic Games since 1900 cancelled at the first modern Games in 1896 due to bad weather 25 History of women s rowing Edit Main article Women s rowing Women row in all boat classes from single scull to coxed eights across the same age ranges and standards as men from junior amateur through university level to elite athlete 26 27 Typically men and women compete in separate crews although mixed crews and mixed team events also take place 28 Coaching for women is similar to that for men 29 The world s first women s rowing team was formed in 1896 at the Furnivall Sculling Club in London 30 The club with signature colors a very distinct myrtle and gold began as a women s club but eventually allowed the admittance of men in 1901 30 The first international women s races were the 1954 European Rowing Championships 31 The introduction of women s rowing at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal increased the growth of women s rowing because it created the incentive for national rowing federations to support women s events Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London included six events for women compared with eight for men 32 In the US rowing is an NCAA sport for women but not for men 33 though it is one of the country s oldest collegiate sports the difference is in large part due to the requirements of Title IX At the international level women s rowing traditionally has been dominated by Eastern European countries such as Romania Russia and Bulgaria although other countries such as Germany Canada the Netherlands Great Britain and New Zealand often field competitive teams 32 The United States also has had very competitive crews and in recent years these crews have become even more competitive given the surge in women s collegiate rowing 34 Now there is usually the same number of girls and boys in a group Technique EditMain article Rowing stroke While rowing the athlete sits in the boat facing toward the stern and uses the oars also interchangeably referred to as blades which are held in place by oarlocks also referred to as gates to propel the boat forward towards the bow Rowing is distinguished from paddling in that the oar is attached to the boat using an oarlock where in paddling there is no oarlock or attachment of the paddle to the boat source source source source source source source source source source source source Women s single sculls final at the 28th Summer Universiade 2015 The rowing stroke may be characterized by two fundamental reference points the catch which is placement of the oar spoon in the water and the extraction also known as the finish or release when the rower removes the oar spoon from the water After the oar is placed in the water at the catch the rower applies pressure to the oar levering the boat forward which is called the drive phase of the stroke Once the rower extracts the oar from the water the recovery phase begins setting up the rower s body for the next stroke At the catch the rower places the oar in the water and applies pressure to the oar by pushing the seat toward the bow of the boat by extending the legs thus pushing the boat through the water The point of placement of the spoon in the water is a relatively fixed point about which the oar serves as a lever to propel the boat As the rower s legs approach full extension the rower pivots the torso toward the bow of the boat and then finally pulls the arms towards his or her chest The hands meet the chest right above the diaphragm At the end of the stroke with the oar spoon still in the water the hands drop slightly to unload the oar so that spring energy stored in the bend of the oar gets transferred to the boat which eases removing the oar from the water and minimizes energy wasted on lifting water above the surface splashing The recovery phase follows the drive The recovery starts with the extraction and involves coordinating the body movements with the goal to move the oar back to the catch position In extraction the rower pushes down on the oar handle to quickly lift the spoon out of the water and rapidly rotates the oar so that the spoon is parallel to the water This process is sometimes referred to as feathering the blade Simultaneously the rower pushes the oar handle away from the chest The spoon should emerge from the water perpendicular or square and be feathered immediately once clear of the water After feathering and extending the arms the rower pivots the body forward Once the hands are past the knees the rower compresses the legs which moves the seat towards the stern of the boat The leg compression occurs relatively slowly compared to the rest of the stroke which affords the rower a moment to recover and allows the boat to glide through the water The gliding of the boat through the water during recovery is often called run A controlled slide is necessary to maintain momentum and achieve optimal boat run However various teaching methods disagree about the optimal relation in timing between drive and recovery Near the end of the recovery the rower squares the oar spoon into perpendicular orientation with respect to the water and begins another stroke 35 36 Boat classes Edit A sweep boat coxless pair A sculling boat double sculls Broadly there are two ways to row sometimes called disciplines 37 In sweep rowing each rower has one oar held with both hands 38 There are usually an even number of rowers two four or eight Each rower s oar will extend to their port or starboard In the United Kingdom the port side is referred to as stroke side and the starboard side as bow side this applies even if the stroke oarsman is rowing on the bow side and or the bow oarsman on the stroke side In sculling each rower has two oars or sculls one in each hand Sculling is usually done without a coxswain in quads doubles or singles The oar in the sculler s right hand extends to port and the oar in the left hand extends to starboard Within each discipline there are several boat classes A single regatta series of races will often feature races for many boat classes They are classified using Number of rowers in all forms of modern competition the number is either 1 2 4 or 8 Whether there is a coxswain also referred to as cox Coxless sweep boats are sometimes called straight while sculling boats are assumed to be coxless unless stated otherwise Although sculling and sweep boats are generally identical to each other except having different riggers they are referred to using different names Sculling boat classes Boat abbreviation Boat class1x Single sculls or single or scull 2x Double sculls4x Coxless quadruple sculls or quad 4x Coxed quadruple sculls coxed quad usually for juniors 8x Octuple sculls always coxed usually for juniors and exhibition Sweep boat classes Boat abbreviation Boat class2 Coxless pair or straight pair 2 Coxed pair4 Coxless four or straight four 4 Coxed four8 Eight always coxed Equipment EditRacing shell Edit Racing shells stored in a boathouse A damaged 8 showing cross section near the bows and the skin construction Main article Racing shell Racing boats often called shells are long narrow and broadly semi circular in cross section in order to reduce drag in the water There is some trade off between boat speed and stability in choice of hull shape They usually have a fin towards the rear to help prevent roll and yaw and to increase the effectiveness of the rudder Originally made from wood shells are now almost always made from a composite material usually a double skin of carbon fiber reinforced plastic with a sandwich of honeycomb material for strength and weight advantages World Rowing rules specify minimum weights for each class of boat so that no individual team will gain a great advantage from the use of expensive materials or technology Smaller sculling boats are usually steered by the scullers pulling harder on one side or the other while larger boats often have a rudder controlled by the coxswain if present or by one of the crew using a cable attached to one of the shoes With the smaller boats specialist versions of the shells for sculling can be made lighter The riggers in sculling apply the forces symmetrically to each side of the boat whereas in sweep oared racing these forces are staggered alternately along the boat The sweep oared boat has to be stiffer to handle these unmatched forces so consequently requires more bracing and is usually heavier a pair 2 is usually a more robust boat than a double scull 2x for example and being heavier is also slower when used as a double scull In theory this could also apply to the 4x and 8x but most rowing clubs cannot afford to have a dedicated large hull which might be rarely used and instead generally opt for versatility in their fleet by using stronger shells which can be rigged for either sweep rowing or sculling The symmetrical forces also make sculling more efficient than rowing the double scull is faster than the coxless pair and the quadruple scull is faster than the coxless four Many adjustments can be made to the equipment to accommodate the physiques of the crew Collectively these adjustments are known as the boat s rigging Oar Edit Main article Oar sport rowing Oars sometimes referred to as blades are used to propel the boat They are long sculling 250 300 cm sweep oar 340 360 cm poles with one flat end about 50 cm long and 25 cm wide called the spoon Classic blades were made out of wood but modern blades are made from more expensive and durable synthetic material the most common being carbon fiber An oar is often referred to as a blade in the case of sweep oar rowing and as a scull in the case of sculling A sculling oar is shorter and has a smaller spoon area than the equivalent sweep oar The combined spoon area of a pair of sculls is however greater than that of a single sweep oar so the oarsman when sculling is working against more water than when rowing sweep oared They are able to do this because the body action in sculling is more anatomically efficient due to the symmetry The spoon of oars is normally painted with the colours of the club to which they belong This greatly simplifies identification of boats at a distance As many sports teams have logos printed on their jerseys rowing clubs have specifically painted blades that each team is associated with Training equipment Edit See also Rowing tank and Indoor rower Indoor rowing on indoor rower or rowing tank is a way to train technique and strength by going through the same motions as rowing with resistance usually a large tank of water Indoor rowing is helpful when there are no rowable bodies of water near by or weather conditions don t permit rowing A rowing tank is an indoor facility which attempts to mimic the conditions rowers face on open water Rowing tanks are used primarily for off season rowing muscle specific conditioning and technique training or simply when bad weather prevents open water training A row of Concept2 Model C ergometers Ergometer rowing machines colloquially ergs or ergo simulate the rowing action and provide a means of training on land when waterborne training is restricted and of measuring rowing fitness Ergometers do not simulate the lateral balance challenges the exact resistance of water or the exact motions of true rowing including the sweep of the oar handles For that reason ergometer scores are generally not used as the sole selection criterion for crews colloquially ergs don t float and technique training is limited to the basic body position and movements However this action can still allow a workout comparable to those experienced on the water Indoor rowing has become popular as a sport in its own right with numerous indoor competitions and the annual World Championship CRASH B Sprints in Boston during the winter off season 39 Race formats EditSee also Regatta Rowing regattas There are several formats for rowing races often called regattas The two most common are side by side and head races Side by side Edit Most races that are held in the spring and summer feature side by side b or sprint c racing all the boats start at the same time from a stationary position and the winner is the boat that crosses the finish line first The number of boats in a race typically varies between two which is sometimes referred to as a dual race to eight but any number of boats can start together if the course is wide enough A side by side race at the 2012 Olympic Games Men s lightweight coxless four The standard length races for the Olympics and the World Rowing Championships is 2 kilometres 1 24 mi long In the United States some scholastic high school races are 1 5 kilometres 0 93 mi while many youth races are the standard 2 kilometres Masters rowers rowers older than 27 often race 1 000 m However the race distance can and does vary from dashes or sprints which may be 500 metres 1 640 ft long to longer dual races like the 6 8 kilometres 4 2 mi Boat Race Two traditional non standard distance shell races are the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge and the Harvard Yale Boat Race which cover courses of approximately 4 miles 6 44 km The Henley Royal Regatta is also raced upon a non standard distance at 2 112 meters 1 mile 550 yards In general multi boat competitions are organized in a series of rounds with the fastest boats in each heat qualifying for the next round The losing boats from each heat may be given a second chance to qualify through a repechage The World Rowing Championships offers multi lane racing in heats finals and repechages At Henley Royal Regatta two crews compete side by side in each round in a straightforward knock out format with no repechages Two crews racing in the annual Lagan Head of the River Belfast The closer boat is being overtaken by the boat on the far side Head races Edit Main article Head race Head races are time trial processional races that take place from autumn fall to early spring depending on local conditions Boats begin with a rolling start at intervals of 10 20 seconds and are timed over a set distance Head courses usually vary in length from 2 000 metres 1 24 mi to 12 000 metres 7 46 mi though there are longer races such as the Boston Rowing Marathon and shorter such as Pairs Head The oldest and arguably most famous head race is the Head of the River Race founded by Steve Fairbairn in 1926 which takes place each March on the river Thames in London United Kingdom Head racing was exported to the United States in the 1950s and the Head of the Charles Regatta held each October on the Charles River in Boston Massachusetts United States is now the largest rowing event in the world These processional races are known as Head Races because as with bumps racing the fastest crew is awarded the title Head of the River as in head of the class It was not deemed feasible to run bumps racing on the Tideway so a timed format was adopted and soon caught on Time trials are sometimes used to determine who competes in an event where there is a limited number of entries for example the qualifying races for Henley Royal Regatta and rowing on and getting on for the Oxford and Cambridge Bumps races respectively Other race formats Edit See also Bumps race source source source source source source source source source source A bump during Torpids at the University of Oxford 1999 Jesus College Men s 1st VIII catch Hertford College A bumps race is a multi day race beginning with crews lined up along the river at set intervals They start simultaneously and all pursue the boat ahead while avoiding being bumped by a boat from behind If a crew overtakes or makes physical contact with the crew ahead a bump is awarded As a result damage to boats and equipment is common during bumps racing To avoid damage the cox of the crew being bumped may concede the bump before contact is actually made The next day the bumping crew will start ahead of any crews that have been bumped The positions at the end of the last race are used to set the positions on the first day of the races the next year Oxford and Cambridge Universities hold bumps races for their respective colleges twice a year and there are also Town Bumps races in both cities open to non university crews Oxford s races are organised by City of Oxford Rowing Club 42 and Cambridge s are organised by the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association The stake format was often used in early American races Competitors line up at the start race to a stake moored boat or buoy some distance away and return The 180 turn requires mastery of steering These races are popular with spectators because one may watch both the start and finish Usually only two boats would race at once to avoid collision The Green Mountain Head Regatta continues to use the stake format but it is run as a head race with an interval start 43 A similar type of racing is found in UK and Irish coastal rowing where a number of boats race out to a given point from the coast and then return fighting rough water all the way In Irish coastal rowing the boats are in individual lanes with the races consisting of up to 3 turns to make the race distance 2 3 km Boat positions EditMain article Boat positions The boat positions within an 8 rowing shell Rowers in multi rower boats are numbered sequentially from the bow aft The number one rower is called the bowman or just bow whilst the rower closest to the stern is called the strokeman or just stroke There are some exceptions to this some UK coastal rowers and in France Spain and Italy rowers number from stern to bow In addition to this certain crew members have other titles and roles In an 8 the stern pair are responsible for setting the stroke rate and rhythm for the rest of the boat to follow The middle four sometimes called the engine room or power house are usually the less technical but more powerful rowers in the crew whilst the bow pair are the more technical and generally regarded as the pair to set up the balance of the boat They also have most influence on the line the boat steers Coxswain Edit Main article Coxswain rowing A coxswain far right sitting in the stern of the boat facing the rowers at the Head of the Charles Regatta The coxswain or simply the cox is the member who steers the boat using rudder strings and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers by communicating to the crew often through a device called a cox box and speakers The cox usually sits in the stern of the boat facing the rowers but in bowloaders usually seen in the coxed four and coxed pair types of boat the coxswain lies in the bow It is an advantage for the coxswain to be light as this requires less effort for the crew to propel the boat In many competitive events there is a minimum weight 55 kilograms 121 lb under World Rowing rules set for the coxswain to prevent unfair advantage If a coxswain is under the minimum weight allowance underweight they may have to carry weights in the boat such as sandbags 44 Athlete categories EditAge Edit At the elite level the World Rowing Federation recognizes an under 19 category for athletes who are age 18 or less by the end of the calendar year for a given event The World Rowing Junior Championships is the world championship event for this category Athletes under 23 years of age by the end of the calendar year may compete in the under 23 category and the World Rowing U23 Championships is held for these athletes World Rowing uses the term Senior for events open to any age 45 Under World Rowing rules athletes may compete in Masters categories when they reach age 27 World Rowing holds the World Rowing Masters Regatta for these athletes at which there are several age subcategories 45 Weight Edit Lightweight boat classes are restricted by the rowers weight According to the World Rowing Federation this weight category was introduced to encourage more universality in the sport especially among nations with less statuesque people The first lightweight events were held at the World Championships in 1974 for men and 1985 for women Lightweight rowing was added to the Olympics in 1996 As of 2021 the only Olympic lightweight boat classes are the men s and women s double sculls The World Rowing Federation lightweight standards are Men Crew average 70 kilograms 150 lb no rower over 72 5 kilograms 160 lb Women Crew average 57 kilograms 126 lb no rower over 59 kilograms 130 lb At the collegiate level in the United States the lightweight weight requirements can be different depending on competitive season For fall regattas typically head races the lightweight cutoff for men is 165 0 lb and 135 0 lb for women In the spring season typically sprint races the lightweight cutoff for men is 160 0 lb with a boat average of 155 0 lb for the crew for women the lightweight cutoff is 130 0 lb 46 For juniors in the United States the lightweight cutoff for men is 150 0 lb for women it is 130 0 lb In the fall the weight limits are increased for women with the cutoff being 135 lb Pararowing Edit Main article Pararowing Oksana Masters amp Rob Jones of the US in the mixed sculls TA 2x final at the Paralympics London 2012 The rowers are fixed to the seat Adaptive rowing is a special category of races for those with physical disabilities Under World Rowing rules there are 5 boat classes for adaptive rowers mixed 2 men and 2 women plus cox LTA Legs Trunk Arms mixed intellectual disability 2 men and 2 women plus cox LTA Legs Trunk Arms mixed 1 man and 1 woman TA Trunk and Arms and men s and women s AS Arms and Shoulders Events are held at the World Rowing Championships and were also held at the 2008 Summer Paralympics 47 Governing bodies EditSee also World Rowing Federation See also Category National members of the World Rowing Federation The World Rowing Federation known as FISA until recently is the sport s international governing body World Rowing runs the World Rowing Championships as well as several other international elite competitions including the World Rowing Cup and World Rowing Junior Championships World Rowing also sponsors rowing at the Olympics World Rowing has over 155 national member federations who govern the sport in their respective nations 48 International competitions Edit Rowing at the Olympic Games on a German Stamp for the 1976 Olympic Games Main articles World Rowing Championships and Rowing at the Summer Olympics The Olympic Games are held every four years where only select boat classes are raced 14 in total Men quad scull double scull single scull eight coxless four and coxless pair Lightweight Men double scull Women quad scull double scull single scull eight coxless four and coxless pair Lightweight Women double scullAt the end of each year the FISA holds the World Rowing Championships with events in 22 different boat classes Athletes generally consider the Olympic classes to be premier events 49 In 2017 FISA voted to adopt a new Olympic programme for 2020 whereby the lightweight men s coxless four event was replaced by the women s heavyweight coxless four This was done to ensure that rowing had a gender equal Olympic programme 2 During Olympic years only non Olympic boats compete at the World Championships Fitness and health EditThis section possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed March 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Rowing is one of the few bearing sports that exercises all the major muscle groups including quads biceps triceps lats glutes and abdominal muscles 50 The sport also improves cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength High performance rowers tend to be tall and muscular 51 although extra weight does increase the drag on the boat the larger athletes increased power tends to compensate The increased power is achieved through the increased leverage on the oar provided by the longer limbs of the athlete In multi person boats 2 4 or 8 the lightest person typically rows in the bow seat at the front of the boat Rowing is a low impact sport with movement only in defined ranges so that twist and sprain injuries are rare However the repetitive rowing action can put strain on knee joints the spine and the tendons of the forearm and inflammation of these are the most common rowing injuries 52 If one rows with poor technique especially rowing with a curved rather than straight back other injuries may surface including back pains and wrist injuries Blisters occur for almost all rowers especially in the beginning of one s rowing career as every stroke puts pressure on the hands though rowing frequently tends to harden hands and generate protective calluses Holding the oars too tightly or making adjustments to technique may cause recurring or new blisters as it is common to feather the blade Another common injury is getting track bites thin cuts on the back of one s calf or thigh caused by contact with the seat tracks at either end of the stroke 53 See also EditGlossary of rowing terms Rowing at the Summer Olympics The Championship Course World Sculling Championship Professional International Rowing Federation eventsRowing World Cup World Rowing Championships World Rowing Junior Championships College university rowingCollege rowing United States Harvard Yale Regatta The Boat Race The Great Race rowing New Zealand University rowing UK U S intercollegiate rowing champions Varsity rowing regatta Netherlands References EditNotes Edit Doggett s Coat and Badge was first contested in 1715 rowing as a sport has recorded references back to Ancient Egyptian times Side by side is the term used in the British Rowing Rules of Racing 40 Sprint race is the term used in the USRowing Rules of Rowing 41 Footnotes Edit International Olympic Committee History of rowing at the Olympic games PDF Archived PDF from the original on September 8 2015 Retrieved June 6 2017 a b The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games rowing programme announced worldrowing com June 12 2017 Archived from the original on September 11 2019 Retrieved September 11 2019 FISA worldrowing com www worldrowing com Archived from the original on June 23 2017 Retrieved June 6 2017 The Ancient Egyptian Rowing Stroke Propelling the Boats of Gods and Men Hear The Boat Sing March 2 2018 Retrieved April 8 2021 a b Burnell Richard Page Geoffrey 1997 The Brilliants A History of the Leander Club Leander Club ISBN 978 0 9500061 1 6 Online Etymology Dictionary Archived from the original on October 15 2007 Retrieved December 23 2006 Doggett s Coat amp Badge Race Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section Archived from the original on September 28 2006 Retrieved December 23 2006 Historical context of the beginnings of rowing at Penn Archived from the original on August 8 2008 Retrieved January 25 2007 A History of Oxford College Rowing Archived from the original on April 10 2007 Retrieved January 17 2007 The History of the Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association Archived from the original on June 20 2010 Retrieved January 17 2007 Burnell Richard 1989 Henley Royal Regatta A celebration of 150 years William Heinemann ISBN 978 0 434 98134 2 History Leander Club Leander Club Archived from the original on March 23 2013 Retrieved March 20 2013 Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club in German Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club Archived from the original on May 12 2013 Retrieved March 20 2013 Narragansett Boat Club http www rownbc org id club info index Archived 2018 09 16 at the Wayback Machine Begin 1849images Archived from the original on March 20 2013 Retrieved June 12 2013 Begin 1849images Archived from the original on March 20 2013 Retrieved June 12 2013 a b Veneziano John America s Oldest Intercollegiate Athletic Event Harvard University Boat Club Archived from the original on July 19 2011 Retrieved January 17 2007 Boathouse Row Living Places Archived from the original on July 17 2011 Retrieved April 30 2010 Moak Jefferson November 27 1983 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form NPS Focus National Register of Historic Places National Park Service US Department of the Interior p 669 Archived from the original on February 27 2014 Retrieved May 7 2010 Good Megan Schuylkill Navy Records 1859 2009 PDF Independence Seaport Museum J Welles Henderson Archives and Library Archived PDF from the original on June 10 2015 Retrieved October 7 2013 Boathouse Row Clubs Schuylkill Navy amp Boathouse Row Archived from the original on June 26 2015 Retrieved June 26 2015 a b Virtual Library of Sports Rowing Archived from the original on February 23 2007 Retrieved January 17 2007 World Rowing Archived from the original on January 2 2007 Retrieved December 31 2006 Australian Rowing at the World Senior Championships Archived from the original on June 14 2013 Retrieved January 17 2007 Rowing Equipment and History Archived from the original on November 2 2011 Retrieved July 10 2011 Rowing World Rowing Archived from the original on April 10 2015 Retrieved April 19 2015 2015 World Rowing Championships World Rowing Archived from the original on April 30 2015 Retrieved April 19 2015 2014 World Rowing Championships World Rowing Archived from the original on April 13 2015 Retrieved April 19 2015 See for example International Rowing Federation sections on World Rowing Masters Regatta and World Rowing Sprints What makes a successful women s coach World Rowing December 8 2014 Archived from the original on April 23 2015 Retrieved April 19 2015 a b Ogilvie Sarah November 1 2012 Words of the World A Global History of the Oxford English Dictionary Cambridge University Press ISBN 9781139789530 Women in rowing World Rowing February 23 2015 Archived from the original on April 27 2015 Retrieved April 19 2015 a b Feature the impact of Olympic inclusion on women s rowing World Rowing June 12 2013 Retrieved April 19 2015 College DI Rowing Home NCAA com NCAA com Archived from the original on May 14 2016 Retrieved June 6 2017 For US women s eight golden road begins in college The Boston Globe October 21 2012 Archived from the original on April 27 2015 Retrieved April 19 2015 Speed Rower Competitive Rowing Archived from the original on June 9 2009 Retrieved February 5 2009 British Rowing Technique The Amateur Rowing Association Archived from the original on February 19 2007 Retrieved December 23 2006 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link British Rowing 2021 2021 Rules of Racing PDF p 10 Archived PDF from the original on April 10 2021 Garrett William E Kirkendall Donald T 2000 Exercise and Sport Science Lippincott Williams amp Wilkins ISBN 978 0 683 03421 9 Racing Concept2 co uk Archived from the original on December 30 2006 Retrieved January 2 2007 British Rowing 2021 2021 Rules of Racing PDF Archived PDF from the original on April 10 2021 United States Rowing Association The Rules of Rowing 2020 Edition PDF Archived PDF from the original on April 17 2021 Bumps City of Oxford Rowing Club Archived from the original on October 24 2010 Retrieved January 20 2011 Green Mountain Head Regatta Archived from the original on March 13 2005 Retrieved January 27 2007 World Rowing 2021 World Rowing Rule Book World Rowing p 103 Retrieved April 19 2021 a b World Rowing 2021 World Rowing Rule Book World Rowing p 102 Retrieved April 19 2021 Women s Rowing 101 PatriotLeague org Patriot League Official Athletic Site PatriotLeague org April 18 2008 Archived from the original on January 16 2013 Retrieved March 20 2013 Paralympic Adaptive WorldRowing com Archived from the original on July 14 2006 Retrieved December 23 2006 World Rowing Member Federations World Rowing Retrieved April 8 2021 World Rowing Rowing and Para Rowing World Rowing Retrieved October 22 2021 Muscles Used Concept2 May 9 2012 Archived from the original on May 21 2020 Retrieved July 24 2020 The Physical Characteristics of an Elite Rower Setanta College September 21 2018 Retrieved July 24 2020 Hosea Timothy M Hannafin Jo A April 26 2012 Rowing Injuries Sports Health A Multidisciplinary Approach 4 3 236 245 doi 10 1177 1941738112442484 PMC 3435926 PMID 23016093 Inc The Independent Rowing News June 8 1997 Rowing News The Independent Rowing News Inc a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a last has generic name help Further reading EditHalberstam David 1985 The Amateurs The Story of Four Young Men and Their Quest for an Olympic Gold Medal Ballantine Books ISBN 978 0 449 91003 0 Paintings of Thomas Eakins a group of rowing scenes first and most famous is Max Schmitt in a Single Scull 1871 Brown Daniel James 2013 The Boys in the Boat Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics Penguin Books ISBN 978 1 101 62274 2 Boyne Daniel J 2000 The Red Rose Crew A True Story of Women Winning and the Water Ballantine Books ISBN 978 1592287581 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rowing World Rowing website of the World Rowing Federation River amp Rowing Museum Rowing Museum in Henley on Thames How Rowing Really Works The Physics of Rowing The maximum speed of rowing boats Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rowing sport amp oldid 1146386785, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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