Rowing was included in the Summer Olympics program in 1900 as a men's competition. The competition among women began to be held in 1976 in Montreal. This sport is a cyclic one.
During rowing competitions, athletes sit with their backs to the direction of travel. This is the main difference from canoeing and kayaking.
There are two types of boats on which rowers sail: swing and twin. On swing boats, athletes sit on either side of the board, each rowing with only one oar. In addition, these vessels may have two, four or eight rowers. On the second vessel, the competitors move with the help of two oars. These boats are allowed the following options for the number of athletes on board: one, two or four.
A helmsman may be appointed as part of a team. Its gender should be the same as that of the main composition. This is a prerequisite for participation in the Olympic Games, although it is not important in other rowing competitions.
Light boat competitions are held separately. Such heats have been introduced since 1996.
The track for racing is a 2 km straight line.
This type of competition is distinguished by the interesting fact that the best results of passing the race track are not recorded as records, and this is true, because the time to overcome a given distance can be increased due to factors independent of the athletes. These include the direction and strength of the wind, the temperature of the water, the intensity and direction of the current, and even the degree of pollution of the reservoir in which the competition is held.
Rowing has gained particular popularity in Russia, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Romania and Western Europe.
Among the best male rowers, the Englishman Steve Redgrave can be distinguished. He, taking part in five Olympic Games, brought his country 5 gold medals and 1 bronze. The best result among women belongs to the Romanian Elisabeth Lipa-Olenyuk, who received 5 gold medals, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals at 6 Olympiads.
