Road to Paris : The Eight

The fastest of the fleet. The blue ribband event. There is a level of romanticism that goes with the eight. It is the boat of the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race. It’s the boat that every high school and collegiate rower wants to win in. It’s the boat that American University rowing (crew) programmes focus on. It’s the boat around rowing’s most famous book (and upcoming movie) ‘The Boys in the Boat’. It is the boat that winds up the Olympic Games rowing regatta.

But try and name well-known eights rowers and you’ll struggle. It’s known as the ultimate team boat.

In the final at the Olympics the start line will be the biggest of any rowing boat class. Forty-eight rowers and six coxswains will be sitting there ready to race. What other race starts with that number of athletes?

We take a close look at the eight at what may happen during Paris Olympic qualification at this year’s World Rowing Championships and we look beyond in the row to Paris.

Total quota places for Paris : 7 for the men’s eight, 7 for the women’s eight

Total number of athletes : 108

Qualification pathways:
5 quota places for men and 5 for women at the 2023 World Rowing Championships
2 quota places each at the 2024 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta

Men’s Eight

Reigning Olympic Champions : New Zealand
Reigning World Champions : Great Britain
World Rowing Cup III winner: Australia

New Zealand was a late entry into the Tokyo Olympic Games. They came through from the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta just two months prior and became Olympic Champions by holding off Germany and Great Britain at the line. New Zealand hasn’t boated an eight internationally since that 30 July 2021 win.

Last season Great Britain dominated, winning every race they entered and finishing off the season by becoming World Champions. They kept their crew line-up stable and look to be on the road to continued medals. The British, however, had their winning streak broken by Australia at this year’s World Rowing Cup III. Australia has been plugging away through the 2022 and 2023 season and their win at World Cup III shows their ever-improving boat speed. Watch out for them at the World Championships.

Very much in the mix this season and right on the pace has been the Netherlands and Romania. The Dutch have strong eights traditions and although rather up-and-down in their results they have pulled off some extraordinary wins in the past. Romania looks to be building in strength and experience and are serious medal contenders.

The big question is Germany. The men’s eight has been their flagship crew, but since the Tokyo Olympics they have not found a winning line-up. At last year’s World Championships they were out of the A-Final. At World Cup III they finished in fifth.

Women’s Eight

Reigning Olympic Champions : Canada
Reigning World Champions : Romania
World Rowing Cup III winner: Great Britain

When Canada won at the Tokyo Olympics they weren’t seen as favourites, especially as they came through to the final from the repechage. But the crew put it all together on finals day and made it their best race. Canada has always been strong in eights which relies on the country having a large rowing base and for Canada it can draw on a number of athletes who train and race in eights at Canadian and American universities.

Canada remained in the medals through the 2022 season and their second-place finish at World Rowing Cup III this season shows they’re on track for a potential top placing at the World Championships. Last year’s World Champions, Romania, have been playing with their line-up and finished fourth at World Cup III. They regularly have athletes doubling up in the pair and four which indicates the strength of their athletes.

Great Britain’s women keep on improving in the eight. It was not long ago that they got their first international medal in this boat class and their confidence continues to blossom. They won a narrow gold at the 2023 World Cup III, setting themselves up for a great showing at the World Championships.

This field does not have huge depth at present opening up the opportunity for a new country to step up and gain Olympic qualification. Olympic silver medallists New Zealand haven’t boated since Tokyo while the United States is yet to appear this season. They did, however, finish fourth at last year’s World Championships and always have the potential to put a good boat together.

As there are five Olympic qualification spots going at this year’s World Rowing Championships, the final will be all about not coming last. This will be one fast race.