Coxed Fours, Men

Switzerland had won the coxed fours event at the previous two editions of the Olympic Games and was favored to continue their streak in Amsterdam, although Italy had won the European Championships from 1925 through 1927. In the opening round Germany, the United States, Poland, and Italy all posted faster times, although the Swiss crew still managed to emerge victorious in their heat. In the second round Italy was absolutely dominant, winning their heat with a time of 7:14.6, nearly 32 seconds ahead of Switzerland, who was the next fastest. By the conclusion of the quarterfinals, it looked as if Italy would easily take the crown and, in the semifinals, they defeated Switzerland by 3.4 seconds, with a time of 6:43.4. The medal races, however, were unlike any other rowing event in Amsterdam. Instead of advancing to the final, Poland, who had essentially had a walkover in the semifinals, met Switzerland in a contest to determine who would face Italy. Switzerland emerged victorious and Poland settled for bronze. Unsurprisingly, the Swiss crew lost to the Italians again in the final, this time by a wider margin as they had not received the opportunity to rest that the Italian team had been afforded. Switzerland was therefore unable to defend its crown, settling for silver, while Italy became the new Olympic champion. They would also win the 1929 European Championships with the same crew.