| | Event type
Single Sculls, Men
| Date | 20 – 27 July 1980 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Grebnoy kanal, Sportivny komplex Krylatskoye, Moskva |
| Participants | 14 from 14 countries |
With the absence of many nations due to the American-led boycott, reigning Olympic and World Champion Pertti Karppinen of Finland seemed like a sure bet for the men’s single sculls gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics. His greatest rival and strongest challenger, Peter-Michael Kolbe, against whom he usually had the upper hand, was a West German and therefore unable to participate, leaving Karppinen as the only World Champion at the Games. Similarly, the only winner of the Diamond Challenge Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta who was present in Moscow was Hugh Matheson of Great Britain. In the opening round, Matheson, Karppinen, and Soviet Vasily Yakusha won their heats, while the semi-finals were taken by Karppinen and East German Peter Kersten. The final was not particularly exciting and Karppinen, Yakusha, and Kersten, the gold, silver, and bronze medalists respectively, were all spaced out by at least two seconds ahead of their nearest competitor.
| Pos | Competitor | NOC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pertti Karppinen |  FIN | Gold | ||
| 2 | Vasily Yakusha |  URS | Silver | ||
| 3 | Peter Kersten |  GDR | Bronze | ||
| 4 | Vladek Lacina |  TCH | |||
| 5 | Hans Svensson |  SWE | |||
| 6 | Hugh Matheson |  GBR | |||
| 7 | Bernard Destraz |  SUI | |||
| 8 | Kostas Kontomanolis |  GRE | |||
| 9 | Lajos Ódor |  HUN | |||
| 10 | Chavdar Radev |  BUL | |||
| 11 | Raimund Schmidt |  AUT | |||
| 12 | Paulo César Dworakowski |  BRA | |||
| 4 h1 r2/4 | Didier Gallet |  FRA | |||
| 5 h1 r2/4 | Arturo Salfran |  CUB |
Round One
| Date | 20 July 1980 — 11:20 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top three finishers in each heat advanced to semi-finals |
Heat #1
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Hugh Matheson | GBR | 7:53.22 | 1:48.96 (1) | 3:48.45 (1) | 5:49.21 (1) | 1:59.49 (1) | 2:00.76 (2) | 2:04.01 (4) | ||
| 2 | 1 | Kostas Kontomanolis | GRE | 7:55.61 | 1:53.50 (2) | 3:54.91 (2) | 5:54.65 (2) | 2:01.41 (2) | 1:59.74 (1) | 2:00.96 (2) | ||
| 3 | 3 | Paulo César Dworakowski | BRA | 8:01.38 | 1:57.29 (5) | 4:01.48 (4) | 6:03.25 (4) | 2:04.19 (4) | 2:01.77 (3) | 1:58.13 (1) | ||
| 4 | 4 | Didier Gallet | FRA | 8:04.41 | 1:56.89 (4) | 3:59.02 (3) | 6:00.84 (3) | 2:02.13 (3) | 2:01.82 (4) | 2:03.57 (3) | ||
| 5 | 5 | Arturo Salfran | CUB | 8:25.09 | 1:56.26 (3) | 4:03.08 (5) | 6:11.92 (5) | 2:06.82 (5) | 2:08.84 (5) | 2:13.17 (5) |
Heat #2
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Pertti Karppinen | FIN | 7:43.80 | 1:47.38 (1) | 3:45.77 (1) | 5:42.54 (1) | 1:58.39 (1) | 1:56.77 (1) | 2:01.26 (1) | ||
| 2 | 5 | Peter Kersten | GDR | 7:49.01 | 1:48.46 (2) | 3:47.65 (2) | 5:46.02 (2) | 1:59.19 (2) | 1:58.37 (2) | 2:02.99 (2) | ||
| 3 | 2 | Vladek Lacina | TCH | 7:53.24 | 1:48.71 (3) | 3:48.49 (3) | 5:49.64 (3) | 1:59.78 (3) | 2:01.15 (3) | 2:03.60 (4) | ||
| 4 | 1 | Bernard Destraz | SUI | 7:59.81 | 1:51.88 (5) | 3:53.93 (5) | 5:56.78 (4) | 2:02.05 (4) | 2:02.85 (4) | 2:03.03 (3) | ||
| 5 | 4 | Chavdar Radev | BUL | 8:04.96 | 1:50.64 (4) | 3:53.57 (4) | 5:59.52 (5) | 2:02.93 (5) | 2:05.95 (5) | 2:05.44 (5) |
Heat #3
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Vasily Yakusha | URS | 7:47.15 | 1:46.05 (1) | 3:43.68 (1) | 5:46.17 (1) | 1:57.63 (1) | 2:02.49 (1) | 2:00.98 (1) | ||
| 2 | 3 | Hans Svensson | SWE | 7:57.33 | 1:47.17 (2) | 3:49.09 (2) | 5:55.24 (2) | 2:01.92 (2) | 2:06.15 (2) | 2:02.09 (2) | ||
| 3 | 1 | Raimund Schmidt | AUT | 8:07.02 | 1:49.09 (4) | 3:53.95 (3) | 6:02.50 (3) | 2:04.86 (3) | 2:08.55 (3) | 2:04.52 (3) | ||
| 4 | 4 | Lajos Ódor | HUN | 8:14.24 | 1:48.20 (3) | 3:54.31 (4) | 6:05.34 (4) | 2:06.11 (4) | 2:11.03 (4) | 2:08.90 (4) |
Round One Repêchage
| Date | 22 July 1980 — 11:00 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top three finishers in each heat advanced to semi-finals |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Bernard Destraz | SUI | 7:25.97 | 1:44.45 (3) | 3:38.29 (3) | 5:34.87 (3) | 1:53.84 (3) | 1:56.58 (4) | 1:51.10 (1) | ||
| 2 | 4 | Lajos Ódor | HUN | 7:27.49 | 1:44.25 (2) | 3:37.81 (2) | 5:33.24 (2) | 1:53.56 (2) | 1:55.43 (2) | 1:54.25 (2) | ||
| 3 | 3 | Chavdar Radev | BUL | 7:28.96 | 1:43.65 (1) | 3:35.93 (1) | 5:31.67 (1) | 1:52.28 (1) | 1:55.74 (3) | 1:57.29 (4) | ||
| 4 | 5 | Didier Gallet | FRA | 7:32.81 | 1:47.43 (5) | 3:41.83 (4) | 5:37.13 (4) | 1:54.40 (4) | 1:55.30 (1) | 1:55.68 (3) | ||
| 5 | 2 | Arturo Salfran | CUB | 7:51.84 | 1:46.15 (4) | 3:43.99 (5) | 5:48.35 (5) | 1:57.84 (5) | 2:04.36 (5) | 2:03.49 (5) |
Semi-Finals
| Date | 24 July 1980 — 11:20 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top three finishers in each heat advanced to final |
Heat #1
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Peter Kersten | GDR | 7:11.99 | 1:43.72 (4) | 3:33.51 (3) | 5:22.28 (1) | 1:49.79 (2) | 1:48.77 (1) | 1:49.71 (1) | ||
| 2 | 4 | Vasily Yakusha | URS | 7:15.14 | 1:40.94 (1) | 3:31.49 (2) | 5:22.84 (2) | 1:50.55 (3) | 1:51.35 (2) | 1:52.30 (=2) | ||
| 3 | 6 | Hugh Matheson | GBR | 7:21.05 | 1:42.52 (2) | 3:31.26 (1) | 5:24.13 (3) | 1:48.74 (1) | 1:52.87 (3) | 1:56.92 (4) | ||
| 4 | 3 | Lajos Ódor | HUN | 7:32.94 | 1:43.07 (3) | 3:36.75 (4) | 5:34.19 (4) | 1:53.68 (4) | 1:57.44 (4) | 1:58.75 (6) | ||
| 5 | 5 | Raimund Schmidt | AUT | 7:38.50 | 1:44.64 (5) | 3:39.59 (5) | 5:40.43 (5) | 1:54.95 (5) | 2:00.84 (6) | 1:58.07 (5) | ||
| 6 | 2 | Paulo César Dworakowski | BRA | 7:39.28 | 1:49.31 (6) | 3:47.92 (6) | 5:46.98 (6) | 1:58.61 (6) | 1:59.06 (5) | 1:52.30 (=2) |
Heat #2
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Pertti Karppinen | FIN | 7:15.90 | 1:41.47 (1) | 3:31.41 (1) | 5:24.21 (1) | 1:49.94 (1) | 1:52.80 (1) | 1:51.69 (3) | ||
| 2 | 2 | Vladek Lacina | TCH | 7:18.66 | 1:43.35 (3) | 3:33.49 (2) | 5:26.58 (2) | 1:50.14 (2) | 1:53.09 (2) | 1:52.08 (4) | ||
| 3 | 3 | Hans Svensson | SWE | 7:19.66 | 1:42.97 (2) | 3:34.14 (3) | 5:28.27 (3) | 1:51.17 (3) | 1:54.13 (3) | 1:51.39 (2) | ||
| 4 | 5 | Kostas Kontomanolis | GRE | 7:23.15 | 1:46.54 (5) | 3:38.92 (5) | 5:33.19 (4) | 1:52.38 (4) | 1:54.27 (4) | 1:49.96 (1) | ||
| 5 | 4 | Bernard Destraz | SUI | 7:33.87 | 1:46.92 (6) | 3:42.46 (6) | 5:40.94 (6) | 1:55.54 (6) | 1:58.48 (5) | 1:52.93 (5) | ||
| 6 | 6 | Chavdar Radev | BUL | 7:34.21 | 1:44.69 (4) | 3:37.67 (4) | 5:36.90 (5) | 1:52.98 (5) | 1:59.23 (6) | 1:57.31 (6) |
Final Round
| Date | 27 July 1980 |
|---|
Final A
| Time | 11:30 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Pertti Karppinen | FIN | 7:09.61 | 1:40.76 (1) | 3:30.46 (1) | 5:21.03 (1) | 1:49.70 (1) | 1:50.57 (1) | 1:48.58 (4) | ||
| 2 | 3 | Vasily Yakusha | URS | 7:11.66 | 1:43.36 (3) | 3:35.23 (4) | 5:26.51 (3) | 1:51.87 (5) | 1:51.28 (3) | 1:45.15 (1) | ||
| 3 | 2 | Peter Kersten | GDR | 7:14.88 | 1:44.23 (5) | 3:35.55 (5) | 5:26.75 (4) | 1:51.32 (3) | 1:51.20 (2) | 1:48.13 (2) | ||
| 4 | 5 | Vladek Lacina | TCH | 7:17.57 | 1:44.03 (4) | 3:34.13 (2) | 5:26.06 (2) | 1:50.10 (2) | 1:51.93 (4) | 1:51.51 (5) | ||
| 5 | 1 | Hans Svensson | SWE | 7:19.38 | 1:45.82 (6) | 3:37.97 (6) | 5:30.88 (6) | 1:52.15 (6) | 1:52.91 (6) | 1:48.50 (3) | ||
| 6 | 4 | Hugh Matheson | GBR | 7:20.28 | 1:42.95 (2) | 3:34.75 (3) | 5:27.09 (5) | 1:51.80 (4) | 1:52.34 (5) | 1:53.19 (6) |
Final B
| Time | 11:45 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 500-1,000 m | 1,000-1,500 m | 1,500-2,000 m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Bernard Destraz | SUI | 7:19.90 | 1:45.82 (4) | 3:37.62 (5) | 5:30.72 (2) | 1:51.80 (3) | 1:53.10 (1) | 1:49.18 (2) | ||
| 2 | 1 | Kostas Kontomanolis | GRE | 7:20.29 | 1:46.76 (6) | 3:36.74 (3) | 5:31.17 (3) | 1:49.98 (1) | 1:54.43 (2) | 1:49.12 (1) | ||
| 3 | 2 | Lajos Ódor | HUN | 7:23.30 | 1:42.94 (1) | 3:35.71 (2) | 5:32.16 (4) | 1:52.77 (4) | 1:56.45 (=5) | 1:51.14 (3) | ||
| 4 | 5 | Chavdar Radev | BUL | 7:23.50 | 1:43.58 (2) | 3:34.98 (1) | 5:30.29 (1) | 1:51.40 (2) | 1:55.31 (3) | 1:53.21 (4) | ||
| 5 | 3 | Raimund Schmidt | AUT | 7:29.16 | 1:44.12 (3) | 3:37.33 (4) | 5:32.87 (5) | 1:53.21 (5) | 1:55.54 (4) | 1:56.29 (6) | ||
| 6 | 6 | Paulo César Dworakowski | BRA | 7:32.00 | 1:46.48 (5) | 3:41.59 (6) | 5:38.04 (6) | 1:55.11 (6) | 1:56.45 (=5) | 1:53.96 (5) |