Rowing has been part of the Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1900 Games. Rowing was on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was cancelled due to bad weather. Only men were allowed to compete until the women's events were introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal which gave national federations the incentive to support women's events and catalysed growth in women's rowing. Lightweight rowing events were introduced to the games in 1996. Qualifying for the rowing events is under the jurisdiction of the World Rowing Federation. World Rowing predates the modern Olympics and was the first international sport federation to join the modern Olympic movement.
The 2011 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 28 August to 4 September 2011 at Lake Bled, adjoining the Slovenian city of Bled. The annual week-long rowing regatta is organized by World Rowing Federation (FISA), and held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer. In non-Olympic Games years the regatta is the highlight of the international rowing calendar, and in the year prior to the Olympics it is the main qualification event for the following year's Olympics.
Peter Taylor is a former New Zealand rower. He became world champion in 2009 in men's lightweight double scull.
The 1996 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held on 11 August 1996 in conjunction with the World Junior Rowing Championships in Motherwell, Strathclyde, Scotland, United Kingdom. The event took place at Strathclyde Country Park. Since 1996 was an Olympic year for rowing, the World Championships did not include Olympic events scheduled for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
The 1979 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 30 August – 9 September 1979 at Bled in Slovenia, Yugoslavia.
The 1980 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held in August 1980 at Hazewinkel in Heindonk, Belgium. Since 1980 was an Olympic year for rowing, the World Championships did not include the 14 Olympic classes scheduled for the 1980 Summer Olympics. Only the four lightweight men's event formed part of the competition, and all finals were raced on 16 August.
The 1978 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 30 October to 5 November at Lake Karapiro near Cambridge, New Zealand. Twenty-eight countries were represented at the regatta. In the history of the World Rowing Championships, 1978 was the only year when the lightweight rowing championships were not held in conjunction with the open men and women event; the lightweight events had already been held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in August.
The 1988 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held on 6 August 1988 at Milan in Italy. Since 1988 was an Olympic year for rowing, the World Championships did not include Olympic events scheduled for the 1988 Summer Olympics, but instead the lightweight events were held in conjunction with the World Junior Championships, which ran from 3 to 7 August.
The 1984 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held on 26 August 1984 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Since 1984 was an Olympic year for rowing, the World Championships did not include Olympic events scheduled for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
The 2015 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 30 August to 6 September 2015 at the Lac d'Aiguebelette, Aiguebelette-le-Lac in France.
The rowing competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo took place between 23 and 30 July 2021 at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo Bay. Fourteen medal events were contested by 526 athletes.
The men's lightweight coxless four competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was held on 6–11 August at the Lagoon Rodrigo de Freitas. This was the last time that this boat class competed, as FISA axed it after the 2017 World Rowing Championships with immediate effect.
Adam Ling is a New Zealand rower. He won a gold medal at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in the lightweight single sculls, but missed the Olympic qualification for the lightweight double sculls the following year.
The 1986 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 17 to 24 August 1986 at Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
The 1992 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 13 to 16 August 1992 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Since 1992 was an Olympic year for rowing, the World Championships did not include Olympic events scheduled for the 1992 Summer Olympics.
The Gold Four is the nickname for a Danish men's lightweight coxless four crew who between 1994 and 2016 has won three Olympic gold, one silver and two bronze, and eight gold and three silver medals at the world championships, making them one of the most successful crews in rowing history. There were 17 team members in total. The boat class was disestablished after the 2017 World Rowing Championships to achieve gender equality in rowing, with the Danish team last competing at the 2016 Olympics.
The men's coxed four (M4+) competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics took place at Lake Casitas in Ventura County, California, United States. There were 8 boats from 8 nations, with each nation limited to a single boat in the event. It was held from 30 July to 5 August and the dominant nations were missing from the event due to the Eastern Bloc boycott. Great Britain dominated the regatta, winning the nation's first rowing gold since the 1948 Summer Olympics, back then in front of their home crowd at the Henley Royal Regatta course. The 1984 event started Steve Redgrave's Olympic rowing success that would eventually see him win five Olympic gold medals. It was Great Britain's first victory in the men's coxed four and first medal of any colour in the event since 1912. The other medaling nations had also not been to the podium in the coxed four recently; the United States took silver, that nation's first medal in the event since 1952, while New Zealand's bronze was its first medal since 1968.
The 1978 FISA Lightweight Championships were held in Copenhagen, Denmark from 3 to 6 August 1978. In the history of the World Rowing Championships, 1978 was the only year when the lightweight rowing championships were not held in conjunction with the open men and women event. The lightweight finals were raced on 6 August. The event was held at Lake Bagsværd. In 1978, a fourth boat class was added to the event: Lightweight double scull.
Andrea Re is an Italian lightweight rower. With eight gold medals at World Rowing Championships, he is one of the most successful rowers ever. He represented Italy at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA.
Ian John Wilson is a retired British lightweight rower who competed for Great Britain.
Austria 
Denmark 
France 
Norway 
West Germany 
Great Britain 
United States 
