Rowing at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's single sculls

The men's single sculls competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London took place at Dorney Lake which, for the purposes of the Games venue, was officially termed Eton Dorney.[1][2] It was held from 28 July to 3 August.[3] There were 33 competitors from 33 nations.[3] The event was won by Mahé Drysdale of New Zealand, the nation's first victory in the event since 2000. Ondřej Synek of the Czech Republic earned his second consecutive silver in the event; Drysdale and Synek were the 13th and 14th men to win multiple medals in the single sculls; they would go on to be the 5th and 6th to earn three in the event in 2016 when Drysdale repeated as champion and Synek added a bronze. The 2012 bronze went to Alan Campbell, Great Britain's first medal in the event since 1928.

Men's single sculls
at the Games of the XXX Olympiad
Gold medallist Mahé Drysdale (2010)
VenueEton Dorney
Dates28 July – 3 August
Competitors33 from 33 nations
Winning time6:57.82
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Mahé Drysdale
 New Zealand
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ondřej Synek
 Czech Republic
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Alan Campbell
 Great Britain
← 2008
2016 →

Background

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This was the 26th 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.[3]

Nine of the 12 A/B semifinalists from the 2008 Games returned, including the top eight finishers: two-time gold medallist Olaf Tufte of Norway, silver medallist Ondřej Synek of the Czech Republic, bronze medallist Mahé Drysdale of New Zealand, fourth-place finisher (and 2004 A finalist) Tim Maeyens of Belgium, fifth-place finisher Alan Campbell of Great Britain, sixth-place finisher Lassi Karonen of Sweden, two-time seventh-place finisher (and 2000 bronze medallist) Marcel Hacker of Germany, eighth-place finisher Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania, and eleventh-place finisher Ken Jurkowski of the United States. Drysdale was the favourite again and hoping for better than bronze this time; he had won five of the six World Championships since the 2004 Olympics. Synek was his biggest challenger, having won the 2010 World Championship. The two-time reigning champion, Tufte, was still a strong contender though not at his peak anymore. Campbell had medaled at the last three World Championships and won the 2003, 2007, and 2011 Diamond Challenge Sculls competitions (matching Drysdale's three wins in that event at that point, though Drysdale has won three more since).[3]

Azerbaijan, Croatia, El Salvador, Niger, and Zimbabwe each made their debut in the event. Great Britain and the United States each made their 21st appearance, tied for most among nations.

Qualification

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Nations had been limited to one boat (one rower) each since 1912. The 33 qualifiers were:

  • 11 boats from the 2011 World Championships
  • 6 boats from the Asian Qualification Regatta
  • 4 boats from the African Qualification Regatta
  • 6 boats from the Latin American Qualification Regatta
  • 4 boats from the Final Qualification Regatta
  • 2 invitational boats

Competition format

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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 expanded to five rounds, keeping the preliminary heats round added in 2008 and restoring the repechage after the first round. 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.[4]

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

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All times are British Summer Time (UTC+1)

Date Time Round
Saturday, 28 July 2012 12:30 Heats
Sunday, 29 July 2012 9:50 Repechage
Tuesday, 31 July 2012 9:30
10:40
Semifinals E/F
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 1 August 2012 09:30
11:20
Semifinals C/D
Semifinals A/B
Friday, 3 August 2012 09:30
09:40
09:50
10:00
10:40
12:30
Final F
Final E
Final D
Final C
Final B
Final A

Results

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Heats

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

Heat 1

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Tim Maeyens   Belgium 6:42.52 Q
2 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 6:46.35 Q
3 Patrick Loliger Salas   Mexico 6:51.78 Q
4 Sawarn Singh   India 6:54.04 R
5 Óscar Vásquez   Chile 7:06.33 R
6 Mohsen Shadi   Iran 7:27.42 R

Heat 2

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Marcel Hacker   Germany 6:43.80 Q
2 Santiago Fernández   Argentina 6:46.03 Q
3 Henrik Stephansen   Denmark 6:46.32 Q
4 Mindaugas Griskonis   Lithuania 6:46.56 R
5 Víctor Aspillaga   Peru 7:13.79 R
6 So Sau Wah   Hong Kong 7:15.91 R

Heat 3

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Lassi Karonen   Sweden 6:45.42 Q
2 Aleksandar Aleksandrov   Azerbaijan 6:49.81 Q
3 Mathias Raymond   Monaco 6:58.60 Q
4 Anderson Nocetti   Brazil 7:03.78 R
5 James Fraser-Mackenzie   Zimbabwe 7:16.83 R
6 Paul Etia Ndoumbe   Cameroon 7:29.77 R

Heat 4

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 6:49.69 Q
2 Olaf Tufte   Norway 7:00.90 Q
3 Nour El Din Hassanein   Egypt 7:06.17 Q
4 Roberto López   El Salvador 7:23.75 R
5 Hamadou Djibo Issaka   Niger 8:25.56 R

Heat 5

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Alan Campbell   Great Britain 6:47.62 Q
2 Zhang Liang   China 6:50.71 Q
3 Michał Słoma   Poland 6:54.58 Q
4 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:05.24 R
5 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 7:16.34 R

Heat 6

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 6:53.23 Q
2 Mario Vekic   Croatia 7:02.63 Q
3 Kenneth Jurkowski   United States 7:08.49 Q
4 Wang Ming-hui   Chinese Taipei 7:15.77 R
5 Aymen Mejri   Tunisia 7:21.64 R

Repechage

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The first two in each heat qualified for the quarterfinals; the remainder went to Semifinals E/F and were out of medal contention.

Repechage heat 1

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Sawarn Singh   India 7:00.49 Q
2 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:03.91 Q
3 Víctor Aspillaga   Peru 7:10.54 QEF
4 Aymen Mejri   Tunisia 7:11.94 QEF
5 Paul Etia Ndoumbe   Cameroon 7:24.15 QEF

Repechage heat 2

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mindaugas Griskonis   Lithuania 7:00.19 Q
2 Mohsen Shadi   Iran 7:11.55 Q
3 Wang Ming-hui   Chinese Taipei 7:16.84 QEF
4 James Fraser-Mackenzie   Zimbabwe 7:19.85 QEF
5 Hamadou Djibo Issaka   Niger 8:39.66 QEF

Repechage heat 3

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Anderson Nocetti   Brazil 7:07.17 Q
2 Óscar Vásquez   Chile 7:09.12 Q
3 So Sau Wah   Hong Kong 7:13.75 QEF
4 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 7:22.00 QEF
5 Roberto López   El Salvador 7:27.75 QEF

Quarterfinals

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The first three in each heat qualified for the A/B semifinals; the remainder went to the C/D semifinals and were out of medal contention.

Quarterfinal 1

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 6:54.86 QAB
2 Tim Maeyens   Belgium 6:56.65 QAB
3 Mindaugas Griskonis   Lithuania 7:00.80 QAB
4 Mario Vekic   Croatia 7:05.78 QCD
5 Michał Słoma   Poland 7:21.55 QCD
6 Óscar Vásquez   Chile 7:24.07 QCD

Quarterfinal 2

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Alan Campbell   Great Britain 6:52.10 QAB
2 Marcel Hacker   Germany 6:54.18 QAB
3 Aleksandar Aleksandrov   Azerbaijan 6:56.36 QAB
4 Patrick Loliger Salas   Mexico 7:00.20 QCD
5 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:16.22 QCD
6 Anderson Nocetti   Brazil 7:17.37 QCD

Quarterfinal 3

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Lassi Karonen   Sweden 6:57.06 QAB
2 Santiago Fernández   Argentina 7:01.57 QAB
3 Zhang Liang   China 7:02.03 QAB
4 Sawarn Singh   India 7:11.59 QCD
5 Kenneth Jurkowski   United States 7:18.27 QCD
6 Nour El-Din Hassanein   Egypt 7:23.12 QCD

Quarterfinal 4

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 6:53.32 QAB
2 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 6:54.12 QAB
3 Olaf Tufte   Norway 6:55.36 QAB
4 Henrik Stephansen   Denmark 6:55.95 QCD
5 Mathias Raymond   Monaco 7:20.16 QCD
6 Mohsen Shadi   Iran 7:32.72 QCD

Semifinals

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The first three in each semifinal advanced to the better of the two finals available (E, C, A) while the remaining boats went to the other final (F, D, B).

Semifinal E/F 1

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 So Sau Wah   Hong Kong 7:44.20 QF
2 Víctor Aspillaga   Peru 7:53.76 QF
3 Roberto López   El Salvador 7:57.89 QF
4 Hamadou Djibo Issaka   Niger 9:07.99 QF

Semifinal E/F 2

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Wang Ming-hui   Chinese Taipei 7:33.18 QF
2 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 7:33.29 QF
3 James Fraser-Mackenzie   Zimbabwe 7:33.81 QE
4 Paul Etia Ndoumbe   Cameroon 7:35.48 QF
5 Aymen Mejri   Tunisia 7:58.48 QF

Semifinal C/D 1

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mario Vekic   Croatia 7:33.51 QC
2 Sawarn Singh   India 7:36.25 QC
3 Mathias Raymond   Monaco 7:38.17 QC
4 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:48.09 QD
5 Óscar Vásquez   Chile 7:57.36 QD
6 Mohsen Shadi   Iran 8:20.29 QD

Semifinal C/D 2

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Henrik Stephansen   Denmark 7:29.76 QC
2 Patrick Loliger Salas   Mexico 7:29.82 QC
3 Michał Słoma   Poland 7:39.00 QC
4 Nour El-Din Hassanein   Egypt 7:44.53 QD
5 Anderson Nocetti   Brazil 7:54.18 QD
6 Kenneth Jurkowski   United States 7:56.51 QD

Semifinal A/B 1

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 7:18.11 QA
2 Lassi Karonen   Sweden 7:19.77 QA
3 Marcel Hacker   Germany 7:22.07 QA
4 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 7:30.19 QB
5 Mindaugas Griskonis   Lithuania 7:31.72 QB
6 Olaf Tufte   Norway 7:35.31 QB

Semifinal A/B 2

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Rank Rower Nation Time Notes
1 Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 7:16.58 QA
2 Alan Campbell   Great Britain 7:18.92 QA
3 Aleksandar Aleksandrov   Azerbaijan 7:20.80 QA
4 Santiago Fernández   Argentina 7:29.68 QB
5 Zhang Liang   China 7:31.52 QB
6 Tim Maeyens   Belgium 7:39.78 QB

Finals

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Final F

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Rank Rower Nation Time
31 Aymen Mejri   Tunisia 7:33.62
32 Paul Etia Ndoumbe   Cameroon 7:46.23
33 Hamadou Djibo Issaka   Niger 8:53.88

Final E

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Rank Rower Nation Time
25 So Sau Wah   Hong Kong 7:29.35
26 Wang Ming-hui   Chinese Taipei 7:33.28
27 Víctor Aspillaga   Peru 7:35.88
28 Vladislav Yakovlev   Kazakhstan 7:36.14
29 Roberto López   El Salvador 7:41.32
30 James Fraser-Mackenzie   Zimbabwe 7:46.49

Final D

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Rank Rower Nation Time
19 Anderson Nocetti   Brazil 7:25.03
20 Nour El-Din Hassanein   Egypt 7:27.19
21 Kim Dong-yong   South Korea 7:27.94
22 Mohsen Shadi   Iran 7:31.42
23 Óscar Vásquez   Chile 7:36.79
Kenneth Jurkowski   United States DNS

Final C

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Rank Rower Nation Time
13 Henrik Stephansen   Denmark 7:19.62
14 Patrick Loliger Salas   Mexico 7:20.10
15 Mario Vekic   Croatia 7:27.60
16 Sawarn Singh   India 7:29.66
17 Michał Słoma   Poland 7:34.98
18 Mathias Raymond   Monaco 7:36.35

Final B

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Rank Rower Nation Time
7 Ángel Fournier   Cuba 7:11.17
8 Mindaugas Griškonis   Lithuania 7:15.32
9 Olaf Tufte   Norway 7:18.15
10 Santiago Fernández   Argentina 7:20.40
11 Zhang Liang   China 7:25.64
12 Tim Maeyens   Belgium 7:27.51

Final A

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Rank Rower Nation Time
  Mahé Drysdale   New Zealand 6:57.82
  Ondřej Synek   Czech Republic 6:59.37
  Alan Campbell   Great Britain 7:03.28
4 Lassi Karonen   Sweden 7:04.04
5 Aleksandar Aleksandrov   Azerbaijan 7:09.42
6 Marcel Hacker   Germany 7:10.21

References

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  1. ^ "Rowing". London 2012 website. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  2. ^ "Rowing at the 2012 London Summer Games: Men's Single Sculls". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Single Sculls, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Why Do We Race 2000m? The History Behind the Distance". World Rowing. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
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