There is plenty of competition for spots with the silver medal winning crew from Beijing (Ryan, Marburg, McKenzie-McHarg, Hegerty) looking to go one better in London. Both the Four, Eight and Pair should be flying. Scott Brennan and David Crawshay are determined to defend their Olympic title in the double sculls.
ROWING EVENTS
There are 14 different events on the Olympic rowing program - eight for men and six for women. There are eight sculling events and six sweep-oared events. The sculling boat classes are the single, the double and the quadruple sculls with crews of one, two or four athletes respectively, as well as the lightweight double. The sweep rowing categories include the pair, the four (men only), the lightweight four (men only) and the eight with coxswain, which is perhaps the most spectacular rowing event of all.
All boats race in heats with the top finishers advancing directly into the semi-finals or a six-boat final. The other boats get a second chance, with the top boats again qualifying. The progression system – and necessity or otherwise of semi-finals – depends on the number of boats entered in each event.
All races are contested over 2,000 metres. A crew's place not time is what matters.
QUALIFICATION AND SELECTION
Australia qualified 10 boats (not athletes) at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia - the first Olympic qualification event. The NOC may enter a crew with different rowers in the qualified events at the 2012 Olympic Games and these rowers may row in different events at the Olympic Games than those in which they competed in 2011.
There are two selection events for the Australian rowing team for the London Olympics. The first will be held from 16 - 18 December and the second will be held from 23 March - 1 April, both at the Sydney International Rowing Centre, Penrith.
For all the Nomination and Selection documentation click here>>>
AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC HISTORY
Australia's rich history in Olympic rowing dates back to Stockholm 1912. Henry "Bobby" Pearce was the nation's first medallist, winning gold in the single scull in 1928 at Amsterdam. He defended his crown four years later and set the scene for a successful history of Australian medallists in Olympic rowing. Since then Australia has grown as a successful Olympic rowing nation, winning 32 medals across men's and women's disciplines in a number of different boat categories. Perhaps the most memorable Olympic successes were that of the "Oarsome Foursome" winning back to back gold in the men's coxless fours in Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996.
To learn more about Australia's Olympic rowing history click here>>>