Coxed Fours, Men

East Germany had won the men’s coxed fours at the last two World Championships and was well-positioned to take gold at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The only other likely challenge might have come from Great Britain, the defending Olympic champions (albeit having performed this feat in the absence of most of the strongest rowing powers, due to the Soviet-led boycott in 1984) and reigning Commonwealth champions. East Germany asserted its dominance immediately, winning its opening round heat in Olympic record time. The other heats were won by Romania, with a crew that included Dimitrie Popescu and Vasile Tomoiagă, who had been runners-up in the 1984 Olympic coxed pairs event, and the United States. In the semi-finals, East Germany once again posted the fastest time, with Great Britain capturing the other heat, and the former maintained its strength through the final and captured the gold medal with ease. Romania came in second nearly three seconds later and New Zealand took bronze after a gap of more than two seconds. Great Britain faltered in the final and placed fourth, far enough away that it was not in contention for a podium spot by the end. Romania’s coxswain Ladislau Lovrenschi won his second Olympic medal at the impressive age of 56, having taken bronze in the coxed pairs in 1972.