Eights, Women

Many of the traditionally strong teams for this event had not competed in international competitions since 2019, due to COVID-19 restricting such regattas, making predictions a bit difficult. Based on those 2019 results, though, New Zealand and Australia had to be considered as the most notable favourites, having been gold and silver winners respectively, although Australia had made major changes since then, retaining only three rowers from that team. Potential factors also included the third and fourth place finishers in 2019, the United States and Canada, as well as China, winners at the final Olympic qualifying regatta.

New Zealand and the United States went through to the finals following the heats, being joined there by Romania, Canada, China, and Australia via the repêchage. In the final, Canada went right out to the lead first, setting a faster pace than they had shown in the heats, with Australia and New Zealand following close behind. Canada continued to lead with New Zealand now her closest pursuer. Although the fast start strategy had not worked to Canada’s advantage at the 2016 Olympics, where they eventually faded to fifth, this year’s Olympics were a different matter altogether, as they led from start to finish to win their first Olympic gold in this event since the 1992 Games. New Zealand held on to second for the silver, while China made a strong closing sprint to wrest the bronze medal from the United States.