Rowing at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Rowing events took place at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo Bay, a venue constructed specifically for the Olympic Games. The main qualification event for the 2020 Olympics were the 2019 World Rowing Championships, with further berths being filled at four continental qualifying regattas in Asia and Oceania, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. The final berths were filled at a final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Luzern from 15 to 16 May 2021. For the first time there was an equal number of men and women, with a total of 526 athletes representing 80 countries, another record number. Countries at their first Olympic rowing competitions included Benin, Dominican Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Namibia, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uganda. The Netherlands qualified the most boats with 11, Canada and Great Britain following closely with 10 each.

Some tinkering with the schedule over a couple of the days was required due to the possibility of a typhoon. Despite this, the event otherwise went off pretty well without a hitch, though the weather was still a little blustery at times, leading to choppy conditions that perhaps contributed to misfortune for a couple of boats. Seven world best times were set, as well as 17 Olympic best times. New Zealand and the Netherlands led the medal count with five apiece, Australia close behind with four, and Romania, China, and Italy each gaining three medals. There were also some noteworthy achievements. Ireland and Greece each won their very first rowing Olympic gold medals. Hamish Bond of New Zealand became a three-time Olympic champion, with his gold in the men’s Eights joining his golds in the men’s Pairs at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. Valent Sinković and his brother Martin Sinković of Croatia joined a select group of rowers to win in both sculling (two oars) and sweep (one oar) events, by gaining gold in the men’s Pairs to go along with their victory in the Double Sculls at the 2016 Games.