About the Competition

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 in a repechage (a second chance race), with the top boats qualifying for a semi-final or final. Semi-finals are only required for events with more than 13 boats competing. If there are more than 25 boats competing then a quarter-final progression is required.

The top boats compete in the A final for the gold, silver and bronze medals. Boats that have not made the A final compete in the B final, for which there are no medals.

Regardless of the category or type of boat, the distance is always the same – 2000m. Each heat has up to six boats, with one boat per lane and each lane marked by buoys.

New Zealand Rowing

New Zealand rowing debuted at Antwerp 1920 and has been represented at 19 Olympiads.

The first athlete to compete for New Zealand was Darcy Hadfield OLY#8 who competed at the Antwerp 1920 Olympic Games.

The first female to compete was Stephanie Foster OLY#434 who competed at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.

New Zealand has had195 rowers (155 males/40 females) compete at the Olympic Games. 68 of these rowers have competed in two or more Olympic games.