Double Sculls, Men

As the reigning World champions, Slovenia’s Luka Špik and Iztok Čop, the latter of whom was a 1992 Olympic bronze medalist in the coxless pairs, were the favorites to win the men’s double sculls at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Germany had won the event at the two previous editions of the World Championships, but had only managed silver in 1999 with its new pair of Stefan Roehnert and Sebastian Mayer. Norway, the runners-up at the 1997 and 1998 Worlds, had also slid down the rankings upon changing their crew, with Olaf Tufte and Fredrik Bekken taking bronze in 1999.The only other recent World medalists in Sydney were Adam Korol and Marek Kolbowicz, the 1998 bronze medalists. The defending Olympic champions, Italy, sent Giovanni Calabrese and Nicola Sartori, while the most recent winners of the Double Challenge Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta were Bertil Samuelson and Bo Kaliszan of Denmark.

The Slovenians posted the fastest time in the opening round, while Norway and the Hungarian duo of Tibor Pető and Ákos Haller took the other heats. Slovenia repeated this feat in the semi-finals, eliminating Denmark in the process, while Norway was again victorious in its heat. The final was fairly spread out, with Slovenia, Norway, and Italy all finishing comfortably in that order and never being seriously challenged in the final stretch. Slovenia thus won its first and, as of 2012, only Olympic title in rowing.