Figure eight (rowing)

Eighth
Officially	8+	Eight
length	approx. 17 m
Minimum weight	96 kg
Olympic boat class
Men	since 1900
Women	since 1976
World best times (2000 m)
Men:	5: 18.68 (June 18, 2017, Lake Malta , Poznan )
Hannes Ocik , Richard Schmidt , Malte Jakschik , Jakob Schneider , Torben Johannesen , Max Planer , Felix Wimberger , Johannes Weißenfeld , Stm. Martin Sauer
Women:	5: 54.17 (May 25, 2012, Rotsee in Lucerne )
Esther Lofgren , Zsuzsanna Francia , Jamie Redman , Amanda Polk , Meghan Musnicki , Taylor Ritzel , Caroline Lind , Caryn Davies , Stf. Mary Whipple
Men lightweight:	5: 30.24 (August 18, 1992, Île Notre-Dame , Montreal )
Klaus Altena , Christian Dahlke , Michael Kobor , Bernhard Stomporowski , Thomas Melges , Uwe Maerz , Michael Buchheit , Kai von Warburg , Stm. Olaf Kaska

Eight (abbreviation 8+ ) is the generic term in rowing for all rowing boats driven by eight people with oars or sculls . A helmsman is always on board.

The most important sub-class is a boat class defined by the world rowing association FISA , which is also simply called eight and is viewed as the premier class of rowing alongside the one . This boat class is always rowed with oars, it is also the fastest of all important boat classes in rowing. The eighth has been an Olympic boat class since 1900 and also exists as a non-Olympic lightweight variant.

Eights, like fours , are large boats, while singles and twos are referred to as small boats. As is usual in team boats, good rowing coordination between all team members is very important for the success of a team in the aft.

description

The rowers in the Olympic, unrestricted eighth do not have to adhere to a weight limit. In the non-Olympic lightweight variant, however, the following applies: Male rowers may weigh a maximum of 70.0 kg as a team and at the same time a maximum of 72.5 kg individually, for women the weight limits are 57.0 kg on average and 59.0 kg individually.

The material and construction of the boat are similar to those of typical racing rowing boats. The boat is about 17.5 meters long, about 55 cm wide at the waterline and weighs at least 96 kg according to the specifications of the World Rowing Association FISA . In contrast to all smaller rowing boats, eights have had to be divisible for transport since the 1990s, whereby no section may be longer than 11.90 m. In many European countries, the transport of an undivided eight on a boat trailer is only permitted with special permits, as the permissible trailer length is exceeded. The transport to overseas regattas in a standard container (outer length 40 feet = 12.192 m) is only possible with divisible aft.

Four outriggers are mounted on each side of the boat . Traditionally, the batsman rows on the port side and the athletes behind him row alternately on the two sides. In the meantime, the outriggers are arranged (riggered) according to the individual skills of the rowers , which means that the batsman can also row on the starboard side. Occasionally, an Italian rigging (also twin ) is being riggered today, with two team members sitting directly behind each other rowing on the same side. In the aft, each rower carries a strap with both hands, which is attached to the boom by a oarlock . The bow ball is located at the bow of the aft, which is responsible for ensuring that no personal injury occurs in the event of a minor collision. There is also the start number holder, in which the start number is inserted during a regatta.

The helmsman always sits in the back of the boat in the aft, as a lying position in front, such as in a four-man with a helmsman or a two-man with a helmsman, is no longer permitted for safety reasons. Due to the length of the eight, the advantage of the helmsman in front through better weight distribution would be very small anyway. The helmsman in the aft must have a minimum weight of 55 kg (men) or 50 kg (women). In addition to controlling the boat using the rudder fin installed close to the sword , he is also responsible for the tactical coordination of the rowing team. For this purpose, a loudspeaker system is installed in modern aft, which is also known as a “Cox Box” (from “cox” for “helmsman”).

In addition to the boat class described here, double eights are very rarely used in training, i.e. an eight driven with sculls. The boat shell of an eight o'clock can be used for this purpose, but it must be equipped with other outriggers. The double figure eight has no relevance in racing rowing . In addition, aft are also built as C-type giant rowing boats and are used for popular sport and rowing training in rowing clubs. The Gigachter can be rowed with sculls or oars. For the hiking Rowing Gigachter, however, are typically too large and inflexible, so that smaller here rowing boats (four and two) are used.

history

Well-known figure eight races

Scene from the Boat Race 2003. In the foreground: the helmsman and batsman of the University of Oxford; Background: Bowman at the University of Cambridge

One of the most famous eight races is the Boat Race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge , which has existed since 1829. The race is held annually in March or April on the Thames in London over a distance of 6779 meters. The eighth cover this distance in 17 to 19 minutes. After the 162nd edition in March 2016, Cambridge leads with 82 wins ahead of Oxford with 79 wins. The race in 1877 was a draw. The boat race is watched annually by hundreds of thousands of spectators along the route and broadcast almost worldwide on TV.

On the same route, but in the opposite direction, the Head of the River Race has been rowed annually in March since the 1930s. With around 400 participating teams, the race is the largest eight regatta in the world and is very popular with many British and European rowing clubs. Due to the number of participating teams, they row the route one after the other, whereby slower boats may be overtaken. The winner is the team that is the fastest to cover the 6.8 kilometers.

Harvard University male figure eight during the Henley Royal Regatta

Another well known race is the competition for the Grand Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta near Henley-on-Thames . The route is 1  mile and 550  yards (2,112 meters) long. Because of the small width of the regatta course, only two boats can compete against each other. Top international teams regularly start at the Grand Challenge Cup . In 2010 and 2011, for example, the Germany eight won over a selection from Great Britain .

In Germany, the rowing Bundesliga regatta series recently attracted attention. Since 2009, every year on five to six regatta weekends on the sprint distance of around 350 meters, so-called “German League Champions” in the women's eighth and men's eighth (which does not correspond to the German championship title). Due to the short length of the route, close races ensure excitement, and the entire route can be overlooked by the spectators. Especially the eight of the Crefeld Rowing Club 1883 have won the league championship several times. In addition to the Bundesliga, the SH Netz Cup (formerly "E.ON Hanse Cup"), a long-distance race for top international eighth on the Kiel Canal , is of importance due to intensive media coverage.

Olympic games

Eighth of the men

The winning Americans at the 1900 Games

Karl Adam

The Germany eighth from 1968

The men's eighth has been deployed at every staging of the Olympic Games since 1900 after the competitions were canceled due to weather conditions in 1896. From the beginning, the Olympic titles in single and eighth were the ones with the highest sporting importance in international rowing. From the first 12 matches of the eighth until 1956, the USA team won all with the exception of 1908 and 1912, when Great Britain was victorious. In addition to the United States, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Norway, Australia and Italy made good teams during this period.

At the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, the US winning streak was interrupted by Germany eighth . Karl Adam was coaching the German team at the time, although he himself had never actively participated in a rowing regatta as an athlete . The German team was also the first to stay below 6 minutes on the 2000-meter Olympic distance. Canada won the silver medal , the USA only reached fifth place. Four years later, the USA again won the gold medal in eighth place, while the Germany eighth took silver. When the German team won the gold medal again in 1968 , the days of US dominance were finally over. The team, once again trained by Karl Adam, won just before Australia with a lead of around nine tenths of a second. Since 1968, only the GDR team managed to defend their title in the men's eight (in the boycott year 1980).

At the 1972 Olympic Games on the Oberschleißheim regatta course in Munich , New Zealand won eighth for the first time, ahead of the USA and the GDR selection. The West German selection was only fifth as the defending champion. The GDR eighth won the events in Montreal in 1976 and in Moscow in 1980 , which was boycotted by many Western countries .

The boycott of many Western states for the Olympic Games in 1980 also led to the boycott of many Eastern Bloc countries to the Games in 1984 in Los Angeles . The GDR eighth as defending champion as well as the Soviet eighth did not take part although they had qualified. It finally won the Canadian eighth ahead of the USA and Australia. Four years later in Seoul , the West German Germany eight with batsman Bahne Rabe won his third Olympic gold medal. Ralf Holtmeyer was responsible for the success as a trainer at the time. In Barcelona in 1992 the Germany eighth (among others occupied by Bahne Rabe and Roland Baar ) was defeated by Canada and Romania . Canada won the race with a lead of around a tenth of a second.

In 1996 in Atlanta , the Netherlands won Olympic gold in eighth for the first time . Germany (including Roland Baar and helmsman Peter Thiede ) won the silver medal ahead of Russia and Canada. Four years later for the Olympic Games in Sydney , the German men's eighth could not qualify when Great Britain triumphed over hosts Australia and Croatia . As world champions from 1997 to 1999, the USA only came in fifth. The regatta during the 2004 Games was held at the Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Center . The USA won the gold medal again after a long time, ahead of the Netherlands and Australia. The German selection around batsman Michael Ruhe reached fourth place.

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing , the competitions were held in Shunyi . The defending champion landed in third place. Canada became Olympic champion ahead of the British, who were decorated with silver. The Germany eight came after a problematic selection process of the team did not get past eighth and last place and was then taken over for the second time by Ralf Holtmeyer , who trained the German women's eight from 2000 to 2008 . At the Olympic rowing regatta in London in 2012 , the Germany eight finally won the fourth gold medal after having won three world championship titles in previous years. The host British took third place behind Canada in London.

Eighth of the women

The women's eighth was first played at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal when women's rowing became Olympic. Since then, the boat class has been in the program at every event. At the premiere, the GDR won ahead of the Soviet Union and the team from the United States. The GDR eighth also won the Olympic gold medal in Moscow in 1980 and in Seoul in 1988, only interrupted by the boycotted event in Los Angeles in 1984. At that time, the domestic team from the USA won. At the time, more women were regularly posted, especially from Romania and the Soviet Union.

When the Canadians won the title in Barcelona in 1992, the Romanian eighth won the silver medal for the third time in a row. The German selection with numerous Olympic champions from 1988 won the bronze medal. From 1996 to 2004 the Romanian large boat finally won the women's eighth three times in a row, among others with the rowers Elisabeta Lipă , Georgeta Damian , Doina Ignat , Viorica Susanu , Ioana Olteanu , Veronica Cochela , Liliana Gafencu and helmswoman Elena Georgescu . Behind them the Netherlands, Canada and the United States were regularly at the start with strong eights.

After a generation change in the Romanian large boat, the American women took on a dominant role in the women's eight. They won the Beijing Games ahead of the Netherlands and Romania and were also successful in London in 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

World and European championships

In the years without an Olympic rowing regatta, the world and European championships are the highlight of the season in rowing. The European rowing championships were held annually in rowing that originated in Europe as early as 1893 with a few exceptions and each contained a title in the men's eight. The women's eight was only added in the 1950s, as no women's races were held before that. From 1962 the European championships were initially every four years, and from 1974 completely replaced by the rowing world championships , since numerous teams from overseas have now taken part in the European championships. Since 2007 both world and European championships with races in the eighth men and women have been held annually. In the lightweight division , the lightweight men's eighth has also been part of the World Cup since 1974.

Great Britain is the reigning world champion in 2014 for men . The first world champion in 1962 was Karl Adam's eighth place in Germany, ahead of the Soviet Union and France. The USA is the women's world champion ahead of Canada and the People's Republic of China. The first World Cup race in the women's eight was won by the GDR ahead of the Soviet Union and Romania.

The 2015 European champions are Germany for men and Russia for women.

Medals

Olympic games

The table shows the successful nations in the men's boat class eight at the Olympic Games (as of 1900 until after the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016).

Men (1900–2016)
space	nation	gold	silver	bronze	total
1	United States	12	2	2	16
2	Germany (thereof German Reich ) (thereof German Empire ) (thereof German Democratic Republic )	6     (2)	3	4 (1) (1) (1)	13 (1) (1) (3)
3	United Kingdom	4th	7th	2	13
4th	Canada	3	5	3	11
5	Netherlands	1	1	2	4th
6th	New Zealand	1		1	2
7th	Australia		2	4th	6th
8th	Russia (of which Soviet Union )		2 (2)	3 (2)	5 (4)
9	Italy		2	1	3
10	Belgium		2		2
11	Romania		1		1
12	Norway			2	2 each
	Czechoslovakia			2
14th	Croatia			1	1

The table shows the successful nations in the women's boat class eighth at the Olympic Games (status: 1976 until after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games).

Women (1976-2016)
space	nation	gold	silver	bronze	total
1	United States	4th	1	1	6th
2	Romania	3	3	3	9
3	Germany (including German Democratic Republic )	3 (3)		1	4 (3)
4th	Canada	1	2	1	4th
5	Netherlands		2	3	5
6th	Soviet Union		2		2
7th	United Kingdom		1		1
8th	People's Republic of China			1	1 each
	Belarus			1

World championships

This table shows the world champions in the men's eighth after title wins (status: 1962 until after the 2017 World Cup).

Men (1962–2017)
space	nation	World title
1	Germany (of which German Democratic Republic ) (of which BR Germany )	17 (5) (4)
2	United States	7th
3	Canada	3 each
	United Kingdom
4th	Soviet Union	2 each
	New Zealand
7th	Romania	1 each
	Australia

This table shows the world champions in the women's eighth position according to title wins (status: 1974 until after the 2015 World Cup).

Women (1974-2017)
space	nation	World title
1	United States	10
2	Romania	8th
3	Soviet Union	7th
4th	Germany (including German Democratic Republic )	5 (3)
5	Australia	2
6th	Canada	1

See also

• Germany eighth
• Team eight women

literature

• Wolfgang Fritsch : manual for rowing: training - stamina - free time . 4th, revised edition. Meyer & Meyer Verlag, Aachen 2006, ISBN 978-3-89899-111-7 .

Web links

Commons : figure eight  - collection of images

Wiktionary: figure eight  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} world best times in rowing. Retrieved June 19, 2017 . 
2. ↑ Rowing competition rules (RWR) of the German Rowing Association; valid from January 1, 2017. (PDF; 380 kB) (No longer available online.) In: www.rudern.de. German Rowing Association, archived from the original on April 18, 2017 ; Retrieved April 17, 2017 . 
3. ↑ Dimensions of various aft versions at the Empacher shipyard. Empacher shipyard , accessed December 20, 2015 . 
4. ↑ FISA Rule Book, 2013 Edition, p. 64a. Retrieved December 20, 2015 . 
5. ↑ FISA Rule Book, 2013 Edition, p. 61. Retrieved December 20, 2015 . 
6. ↑ ^{a b} Carsten Oberhagemann: Germany eight under the microscope: Technical details. In: www.rudern.de. German Rowing Association, December 8, 2004, accessed April 17, 2017 . 
7. ↑ Boat Race 2015 LIVE: Latest action from Oxford vs Cambridge Men's and Women's Boat Races. independent.co.uk, accessed April 11, 2015 . 
8. ^ Henley Royal Regatta - Information for crews. (No longer available online.) Henley Royal Regatta, archived from the original on October 16, 2014 ; Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
9. ^ Carsten Oberhagemann: Germany eight triumphs in Henley. (No longer available online.) July 3, 2011, archived from the original on October 15, 2014 ; Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
10. ^ Rowing: Olympic Games 1900–1936. Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
11. ↑ Evi Simeoni: Germany eighth: The miracle of Rome . In: FAZ.NET , September 7, 2010. ISSN  0174-4909 . Retrieved August 10, 2012. 
12. ↑ Result of the 1960 Olympics (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
13. ↑ Results of the 1964 Olympics (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
14. ^ Result of the 1968 Olympics (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
15. ^ Result Olympia 1972 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
16. ^ Result Olympia 1976 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
17. ^ Rowing: Olympic Games 1948–1976. sport-komplett.de, accessed on October 10, 2014 . 
18. ↑ Result of the 1980 Olympics (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
19. ↑ Results of the 1984 Olympics (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
20. ↑ Result of the 1988 Olympics (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
21. ↑ Result of the 1992 Olympics (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
22. ^ Result Olympia 1996 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
23. ^ Result Olympia 2000 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
24. ^ Result Olympia 2004 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
25. ↑ Rowing: Olympic Games 1980–1996. sport-komplett.de, accessed on October 10, 2014 . 
26. ↑ Result of the Olympic Games 2008 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
27. ↑ (M8 +) Men's Eight - Final. Retrieved June 26, 2015 . 
28. ↑ ^{a b} Result Olympia 1976 (women). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
29. ↑ Results of the 2012 Olympics (women). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
30. ^ Rowing at the 2012 London Summer Games. Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
31. ^ Result World Cup 2014 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
32. ↑ Rowing World Championships eight men. sport-komplett.de, accessed on October 10, 2014 . 
33. ↑ Result of the 2014 World Cup (women). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
34. ↑ Rowing World Championships, figure eight women. sport-komplett.de, accessed on October 10, 2014 . 
35. ↑ Results EM 2014 (men). Retrieved October 10, 2014 . 
36. ↑ Results EM 2014 (women). Retrieved October 10, 2014 .