A total of 550 athletes will be rowing at the 2008 Olympics. Upon first hearing that number it may sound like it could be rather easy to qualify for an Olympic Rowing event. When one considers that each Olympic Committee (country) can only have 1 boat in each event, the reality of the difficulty of being in that one boat becomes clear.
If you think you have what it takes to be an Olympic Rowing competitor, don’t let the numbers sway you one way or the other. Simply consider the data to help position yourself for the 2012 Olympics, as this year’s quota has been filled.
Olympic Rowing Athlete Quota
550 rowers in 200 boats will be competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Rowing events.
- 350 Male Athlete Slots
- 194 Female Athlete Slots
- 4 Slots for Tripartite Commission Invitations
- 2 Slots for the Host Nation (China)
Olympic Rowing Qualification Procedures
Since a limited number of crews can qualify for the Olympics, there is fierce competition for those coveted slots. FISA, The International Rowing Federation (The Federation Internationale des Societes d’Aviron), holds qualifying events to fill the quota for the Olympic Games. The main group of qualifiers comes from the World Championships that were held the year before the Olympics. Continental Qualification Regattas make up the remainder of the crews to qualify for the Olympics.
The crews that qualify for the Olympics during the early qualification competitions guarantee the country a slot in the event. They don’t however guarantee the crew who rows the boat. Those seats can be chosen by the country through subsequent events along the way. This part of selection often pits teammates against each other for the few seats available in each boat. In some cases, a boat that qualifies with 8 people may actually compete in the Olympics with as few as 3 or 4 of the original paddlers.
United States Olympic Rowing Qualification
The United States Rowing team has earned more Olympic medals than any other rowing team in the world. This long tradition of rowing prowess has provided some exceptional venues to learn, practice, and compete in rowing en route to being an Olympic competitor. Most rowing athletes began their journey with the sport during their middle and high school years while competing on school teams and in local rowing clubs. Their skills are further honed on college teams and competitive clubs.
A person’s best bet to make the United States Olympic Rowing team is to start young and to get on well coached teams. Learning in the right systems in a competitive environment is absolutely crucial. Of course, staying physically fit is absolutely essential to success in this sport.
The maximum U.S. Rowing Team size for the 2008 Olympics is a total of 28 athletes, 28 men and 20 women. In addition to the FISA World Cup Regatta, National Selection Regattas (NSRs) were held to determine the slots for the small boats. The large boats were determined through selection camps. Invitations to the camps were earned as a result of race results at the NSRs. The first NSRs were held in April of 2008. The big boat camps began in May of 2008.
