Rowing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's single sculls

The men's single sculls competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was held from 6 to 13 August at the Lagoon Rodrigo de Freitas.[1] There were 32 competitors from 32 nations.[2] The event was won by Mahé Drysdale of New Zealand, the sixth man to successfully defend an Olympic title in the event. He won an exceptionally close final against Damir Martin of Croatia. Martin's silver was Croatia's first medal in the event. Bronze went to Ondřej Synek of the Czech Republic. Both Drysdale and Synek earned their third medal in the event; Drysdale had taken bronze in 2008 before winning in 2012 and 2016, while Synek had twice been the runner-up in 2008 and 2012 before this third-place finish.

Men's single sculls
at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
The medallists: Damir Martin, Mahé Drysdale, and Ondřej Synek
VenueLagoon Rodrigo de Freitas
Dates6–13 August 2016
Competitors32 from 32 nations
Winning time6:41.34
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Mahé Drysdale
 New Zealand
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Damir Martin
 Croatia
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ondřej Synek
 Czech Republic
← 2012
2020 →

The measurer noted Martin as the winner with photo finish, while Drysdale as second, but then the result was removed. They had the same final time, 6 minutes 41.34 seconds, and the winner, Drysdale, was decided with a photo finish (five thousandths of a second) by judges.[3][4] The Croatian Olympic Committee disputes the photo finish, and officially requested the International Olympic Committee and International Rowing Federation for an analysis by independent experts of the entire video and photo finish.[5]

Background edit

This was the 27th appearance of the event. Rowing had been on the programme in 1896 but was cancelled due to bad weather. The single sculls has been held every time that rowing has been contested, beginning in 1900.[2]

Four of the 12 A/B semifinalists from the 2012 Games returned, including the three medallists: gold medallist (and 2008 bronze medallist) Mahé Drysdale of New Zealand, two-time silver medallist Ondřej Synek of the Czech Republic, bronze medallist (and 2008 fifth-place finisher) Alan Campbell of Great Britain, and seventh-place finisher Ángel Fournier of Cuba. The favourites were Synek and Damir Martin of Croatia; Synek had won the three World Championships since the 2012 Games while Martin had won the last two European championships. Drysdale had been World runner-up in 2014 and 2015 as well as adding two more Diamond Challenge Sculls titles.[2]

Belarus, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Thailand, and Vanuatu each made their debut in the event. Great Britain made its 22nd appearance, most among nations.

Qualification edit

Nations had been limited to one boat (one rower) each since 1912. The 32 qualifiers were:

  • 9 boats from the 2015 World Championships
  • 7 boats from the Asian and Oceanian Qualification Regatta
  • 4 boats from the African Qualification Regatta
  • 7 boats from the Latin American Qualification Regatta
  • 3 boats from the European Qualification Regatta
  • 2 invitational boats

Competition format edit

This rowing event is a single scull event, meaning that each boat is propelled by a single rower. The "scull" portion means that the rower uses two oars, one on each side of the boat; this contrasts with sweep rowing in which each rower has one oar and rows on only one side (not feasible for singles events). The competition consists of multiple rounds. The competition continued to use the five-round format introduced in 2012. Finals were held to determine the placing of each boat; these finals were given letters with those nearer to the beginning of the alphabet meaning a better ranking. Semifinals were named based on which finals they fed, with each semifinal having two possible finals. The course used the 2000 metres distance that became the Olympic standard in 1912.[6]

During the first round six heats were held. The first three boats in each heat advanced to the quarterfinals, while all others were relegated to the repechages.

The repechage was a round which offered rowers a second chance to qualify for the quarterfinals. Placing in the repechage heats determined which quarterfinal the boat would race in. The top two boats in each repechage heat moved on to the quarterfinals, with the remaining boats going to the E/F semifinals.

The quarterfinals were the second round for rowers still competing for medals. Placing in the quarterfinal heats determined which semifinal the boat would race in. The top three boats in each quarterfinal moved on to the A/B semifinals, with the bottom three boats going to the C/D semifinals.

Six semifinals were held, two each of A/B semifinals, C/D semifinals, and E/F semifinals. For each semifinal race, the top three boats moved on to the better of the two finals, while the bottom three boats went to the lesser of the two finals possible. For example, a second-place finish in an A/B semifinal would result in advancement to the A final.

The fourth and final round was the finals. Each final determined a set of rankings. The A final determined the medals, along with the rest of the places through 6th. The B final gave rankings from 7th to 12th, the C from 13th to 18th, and so on. Thus, to win a medal rowers had to finish in the top three of their heat (or top two of their repechage heat), top three of their quarterfinal, and top three of their A/B semifinal to reach the A final.

Schedule edit

All times are Brasília Time (UTC−3).

Date Time Round
Saturday, 6 August 2016 7:30 Heats
Sunday, 7 August 2016 7:30 Repechages
Monday, 8 August 2016 7:30 Semifinals E/F
Tuesday, 9 August 2016 7:30 Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 10 August 2016 10:10 Semifinals C/D
Thursday, 11 August 2016 8:10 Semifinals A/B
Friday, 12 August 2016 7:30
7:50
Final F
Final E
Saturday, 13 August 2016 8:30
8:50
9:10
09:30
Final D
Final C
Final B
Final A

Results edit

Heats edit

The first three of each heat qualified for the quarterfinals, while the remainder went to the repechage.

Heat 1 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 7:06.89 Q
2 Juan Carlos Cabrera   Mexico 7:08.27 Q
3 Dattu Baban Bhokanal   India 7:21.67 Q
4 Jaruwat Saensuk   Thailand 7:25.06 R
5 Armandas Kelmelis   Lithuania 7:34.59 R
6 Luigi Teilemb   Vanuatu 8:00.42 R

Heat 2 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 7:04.45 Q
2 Bendegúz Pétervári-Molnár   Hungary 7:12.86 Q
3 Jhonatan Esquivel   Uruguay 7:16.08 Q
4 Renzo Leon Garcia   Peru 7:21.04 R
5 Mohammed Riyadh   Iraq 7:25.04 R
6 Jakson Vicent Monasterio   Venezuela 7:28.36 R

Heat 3 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Hannes Obreno   Belgium 7:09.06 Q
2 Natan Węgrzycki-Szymczyk   Poland 7:12.43 Q
3 Brian Rosso   Argentina 7:22.69 Q
4 Shakhboz Kholmirzayev   Uzbekistan 7:25.03 R
5 Al-Hussein Gambour   Libya 7:43.85 R

Heat 4 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Alan Campbell   Great Britain 7:08.31 Q
2 Stanislau Shcharbachenia   Belarus 7:11.49 Q
3 Memo   Indonesia 7:14.17 Q
4 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:20.85 R
5 Andrew Peebles   Zimbabwe 7:25.39 R

Heat 5 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 7:21.90 Q
2 Rhys Grant   Australia 7:28.83 Q
3 Arturo Rivarola   Paraguay 7:29.23 Q
4 Sid Ali Boudina   Algeria 7:45.90 R
5 Bryan Sola Zambrano   Ecuador 7:48.77 R

Heat 6 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Nils Jakob Hoff   Norway 7:17.47 Q
2 Damir Martin   Croatia 7:23.08 Q
3 Abdelkhalek El-Banna   Egypt 7:34.05 Q
4 Mohamed Taieb   Tunisia 7:37.95 R
5 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 7:38.65 R

Repechage edit

The first two in each heat qualified for the quarterfinals; the rest went to Semifinals E/F (out of medal contention).

Repechage heat 1 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Sid Ali Boudina   Algeria 7:20.84 Q
2 Renzo Leon Garcia   Peru 7:25.55 Q
3 Luigi Teilemb   Vanuatu 7:34.12 QEF
4 Al-Hussein Gambour   Libya 7:45.09 QEF
5 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 12:04.17 QEF

Repechage heat 2 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:12.96 Q
2 Mohammed Riyadh   Iraq 7:14.38 Q
3 Jaruwat Saensuk   Thailand 7:16.39 QEF
4 Bryan Sola Zambrano   Ecuador 7:28.30 QEF

Repechage heat 3 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Armandas Kelmelis   Lithuania 7:13.36 Q
2 Shakhboz Kholmirzayev   Uzbekistan 7:14.58 Q
3 Andrew Peebles   Zimbabwe 7:17.19 QEF
4 Mohamed Taieb   Tunisia 7:27.18 QEF
5 Jakson Vicent Monasterio   Venezuela 7:28.67 QEF

Quarterfinals edit

The first three of each heat qualified for Semifinals A/B; the remainder went to Semifinals C/D (out of medal contention).

Quarterfinal 1 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 6:51.89 QAB
2 Rhys Grant   Australia 6:55.14 QAB
3 Nils Jakob Hoff   Norway 6:57.94 QAB
4 Memo   Indonesia 6:59.76 QCD
5 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:05.69 QCD
6 Shakhboz Kholmirzayev   Uzbekistan 7:09.99 QCD

Quarterfinal 2 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 6:46.51 QAB
2 Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 6:50.51 QAB
3 Stanislau Shcharbachenia   Belarus 6:55.19 QAB
4 Brian Rosso   Argentina 7:03.23 QCD
5 Armandas Kelmelis   Lithuania 7:04.67 QCD
6 Renzo Leon Garcia   Peru 7:30.91 QCD

Quarterfinal 3 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Hannes Obreno   Belgium 6:48.90 QAB
2 Juan Carlos Cabrera   Mexico 6:50.04 QAB
3 Abdelkhalek El-Banna   Egypt 6:50.82 QAB
4 Bendegúz Pétervári-Molnár   Hungary 6:52.80 QCD
5 Sid Ali Boudina   Algeria 7:13.59 QCD
6 Arturo Rivarola   Paraguay 7:17.12 QCD

Quarterfinal 4 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Damir Martin   Croatia 6:44.44 QAB
2 Alan Campbell   Great Britain 6:49.41 QAB
3 Natan Węgrzycki-Szymczyk   Poland 6:53.52 QAB
4 Dattu Baban Bhokanal   India 6:59.89 QCD
5 Jhonatan Esquivel   Uruguay 7:40.27 QCD
6 Mohammed Riyadh   Iraq 8:29.76 QCD

Semifinals edit

The first three of each heat qualify to the better final (E, C, A) while the remainder went to the lower final (F, D, B).

Semifinal E/F 1 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Jaruwat Saensuk   Thailand 7:54.38 QE
2 Mohamed Taieb   Tunisia 8:02.05 QE
3 Luigi Teilemb   Vanuatu 8:19.15 QE
4 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 11:45.22 QF

Semifinal E/F 2 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Andrew Peebles   Zimbabwe 7:45.20 QE
2 Jakson Vicent Monasterio   Venezuela 7:50.56 QE
3 Bryan Sola Zambrano   Ecuador 7:52.86 QE
4 Al-Hussein Gambour   Libya 8:13.17 QF

Semifinal C/D 1 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Jhonatan Esquivel   Uruguay 7:22.98 QC
2 Brian Rosso   Argentina 7:24.65 QC
3 Memo   Indonesia 7:25.60 QC
4 Shakhboz Kholmirzayev   Uzbekistan 7:26.04 QD
5 Sid Ali Boudina   Algeria 7:37.19 QD
6 Arturo Rivarola   Paraguay 7:41.43 QD

Semifinal C/D 2 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Bendegúz Pétervári-Molnár   Hungary 7:18.88 QC
2 Dattu Baban Bhokanal   India 7:19.02 QC
3 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:20.10 QC
4 Armandas Kelmelis   Lithuania 7:20.72 QD
5 Renzo Leon Garcia   Peru 7:37.34 QD
6 Mohammed Riyadh   Iraq 7:48.31 QD

Semifinal A/B 1 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 6:58.56 QA
2 Damir Martin   Croatia 6:59.43 QA
3 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 7:02.65 QA
4 Juan Carlos Cabrera   Mexico 7:03.68 QB
5 Abdelkhalek El-Banna   Egypt 7:13.55 QB
6 Nils Jakob Hoff   Norway 7:39.12 QB

Semifinal A/B 2 edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 7:03.70 QA
2 Stanislau Shcharbachenia   Belarus 7:06.69 QA
3 Hannes Obreno   Belgium 7:06.76 QA
4 Alan Campbell   Great Britain 7:09.54 QB
5 Rhys Grant   Australia 7:14.68 QB
6 Natan Węgrzycki-Szymczyk   Poland 7:15.61 QB

Finals edit

Final F edit

Rank Rower Nation Time
31 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 7:21.61
32 Al-Hussein Gambour   Libya 7:41.77

Final E edit

Rank Rower Nation Time
25 Andrew Peebles   Zimbabwe 7:43.98
26 Jaruwat Saensuk   Thailand 7:49.86
27 Mohamed Taieb   Tunisia 7:53.36
28 Bryan Sola Zambrano   Ecuador 7:53.54
29 Jakson Vicent Monasterio   Venezuela 7:57.83
30 Luigi Teilemb   Vanuatu 8:24.67

Final D edit

Rank Rower Nation Time
19 Armandas Kelmelis   Lithuania 7:00.72
20 Renzo Leon Garcia   Peru 7:02.28
21 Mohammed Riyadh   Iraq 7:03.73
22 Shakhboz Kholmirzayev   Uzbekistan 7:04.78
23 Sid Ali Boudina   Algeria 7:06.64
24 Arturo Rivarola   Paraguay 7:18.34

Final C edit

Rank Rower Nation Time
13 Dattu Baban Bhokanal   India 6:54.96
14 Bendegúz Pétervári-Molnár   Hungary 6:57.75
15 Brian Rosso   Argentina 6:58.58
16 Memo   Indonesia 6:59.44
17 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 6:59.72
18 Jhonatan Esquivel   Uruguay 7:13.65

Final B edit

Rank Rower Nation Time
7 Natan Węgrzycki-Szymczyk   Poland 6:47.95
8 Juan Carlos Cabrera   Mexico 6:50.02
9 Rhys Grant   Australia 6:51.90
10 Abdelkhalek El-Banna   Egypt 6:54.94
11 Nils Jakob Hoff   Norway 7:02.66
Alan Campbell   Great Britain DNS

Final A edit

Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
  Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 6:41.34 OB
  Damir Martin   Croatia 6:41.34
  Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 6:44.10
4 Hannes Obreno   Belgium 6:47.42
5 Stanislau Shcharbachenia   Belarus 6:48.78
6 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 6:55.90

References edit

  1. ^ "Rowing". Rio 2016 website. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Single Sculls, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. ^ Angus MacSwan (13 August 2016). "Rowing: Dramatic finish, agonizing wait in sculls thriller". Reuters. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  4. ^ Patrick Sawer (13 August 2016). "There's only one gold after 5,000ths of a second divides 'dead heat' rowers". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  5. ^ "OI Rio: HOO uputio dopis MOO-u i FISA-i nakon finalne utrke samca na OI Rio" [Rio Olympics: Croatian Olympic Committee sent a report to the IOC and FISA after the final race of men's single at the Olympic Games in Rio] (in Croatian). Croatian Olympic Committee. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Why Do We Race 2000m? The History Behind the Distance". World Rowing. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2021.