Rowing
The close synchronization needed to propel a shell (boat) in a smooth, fast glide belies the size and power of a rowing crew. Sydney's eight-day Olympic regatta will include eight men's and six women's events. Raced over 2,000 m, either solo in sculls or in crews of two, four or eight, the contests fall into two broad classes: sculling, where each rower has two oars, and sweep racing, where each rower has one.
Men
The race not to be missed is the men's coxless fours. In Barcelona and Atlanta it was the domain of Australia's "Oarsome Foursome," but in Sydney the spotlight will be on veteran Olympian Steve Redgrave, who has joined the British four in his record-setting bid to win gold medals at five separate Games. In the single sculls, New Zealand's world champion Rob Waddell will duel with the reigning Olympic champion, Xeno Muller of Switzerland. The remarkable Australian crew of James Tomkins and Matthew Long will row for gold in the coxless pairs. They were thrown together at July's world championships 10 min. before the race, but still won impressively. In the blue-ribbon eights event, the U.S. crew, three times world champions since Atlanta, are favorites, with Australia and Great Britain the likely challengers.
Women
The Canadian coxless pair of Emma Robinson, who endured a cancer scare and surgery last year, and Theresa Luke set a world record in their heat at last year's world championships. But Australian duo Kate Slatter, an Atlanta gold medalist, and Rachel Taylor should push them in Sydney. The strong German team includes world-record-holding double sculls pair Jana Thieme and Kathrin Boron and the world champion quad sculls crew. In Atlanta, Belarussian single sculler Ekaterina Karsten won her country's first Olympic gold medal. Her recent form-two World Cup wins this year and world championships in 1997 and 1999-augurs well for Sydney. In the eights, the Romanians look untouchable, with Canada and Australia their main rivals.
WHEN TO WATCH
Men
- Coxless Fours Sept. 23
- Single Sculls Sept. 23
- Coxless Pairs Sept. 23
- Eights Sept. 24
Women
- Coxless Pairs Sept. 23
- Double Sculls Sept. 23
- Quad Sculls Sept. 24
- Single Sculls Sept. 23
- Eights Sept. 24