Paris 2024 Olympic Games Preview: The Four

The four is one of the classics when it comes to rowing boat classes. Widely it has been made famous on the men’s side by Australia with the Oarsome Foursome, by the British with Redgrave’s four, in lightweight rowing by the Danes and their Guldfireren. For the women, becoming an Olympic boat class (once again) for the Tokyo Olympics caused a huge renaissance. The women’s four did appear at the 1992 Olympic Games, but only for one edition. It then disappeared from the Olympic schedule to return in time for Tokyo. Having now completed a full Olympic cycle, the women’s four appears to be going from strength to strength with the competition getting tougher and the boats getting faster.

Olympic quota places: 9 each for men’s and women’s four
Total number of athletes: 72
Qualification pathway for men and women:
7 quota places at the 2023 World Rowing Championships:

Women: NED, ROU, GBR, USA, AUS, CHN, NZL.

Men: GBR, USA, NZL, NED, AUS, FRA, ROU

2 quota places at the 2024 Final Olympic qualification regatta:

Women: IRL, DEN. 

Men: ITA, SUI

Women’s Four

Reigning Olympic Champions: Australia
Reigning World Champions: Netherlands
2024World Rowing Cup overall winner: Great Britain

When Australia crossed the line in first at the Tokyo Olympics, they made history by being the first Olympic Champions in this boat class in more than two decades. The Australian crew has been moving its line up around so will head to Paris with a different mix and perhaps with Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre out of the boat to focus on the pair.

There has been a mixture of countries that have had a good go at the top spot through this Olympiad. But then in 2023 two-time Olympic Champion Helen Glover came out of retirement and into the British boat. They finished third behind the Netherlands and Romania at the 2023 World Champs, then have won every race since.

A loaded field at World Cup II this year had the British in first pushing the Netherlands into second with the United States and New Zealand in third and fourth respectively. This race is likely to give the best indication of what may happen at the Olympics.

 Men’s Four

Reigning Olympic Champions: Australia
Reigning World Champions: Great Britain
2024 World Rowing Cup overall winner: Great Britain

An Australian – British tussle has been the men’s final formula for the last few Olympic Games. But through this Olympiad it has not been about just these two crews. At last year’s World Championships the British came out on top but it was the United States and New Zealand that chased them for the top medal.

Australia is still very much in the mix, but will have to contend with the US and the Kiwis for those medal spots. Great Britain cannot guarantee gold, which seemed theirs to lose earlier in the Olympic cycle. This really makes for interesting racing with Australia and Great Britain now having to look over both shoulders at other crews and not just focus on each other. World Cup III was not quite as stacked as World Cup II with New Zealand taking out the top spot and with that the psychological advantage going into the Olympic Games. Everything will be revealed on 1 August in Paris.