Lightweight (rowing)

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Lightweight four without a helmsman in the USA at the 2003 World Rowing Championships

A lightweight in rowing (also lightweight rowers , abbreviations "L" , "LG" , "Lgw." Or "Lwt." ) Is an athlete who takes part in a regatta in a lightweight class. The lightweight class is defined by age-class-dependent upper limits for the body weight of the rowers and a limit for the average team weight .

The lightweight class is the only restricted weight class in rowing. In addition, there is only the open class, whose participants are sometimes referred to as "heavyweights". Otherwise, weight classes are only common in martial arts and heavy athletics .

Differences to rowers in the open weight class

In the strength endurance sport of rowing , the physical performance achieved by the rower correlates with his biometric characteristics of body size , body weight and body type . The physical performance has a positive influence on the boat speed with anaerobic stress on the muscles . In the open weight class, therefore, male rowers are around 190 cm to 200 cm tall and weigh 90 kg to 100 kg, female rowers measure 175 cm to 185 cm or 70 kg to 80 kg. Even in Germany and the western world, the “ideal measurements” in terms of body height are less than 10% of the population. In other parts of the world, the mean body height is lower and the number of people physically suitable for rowing in the open class is correspondingly smaller. Lightweight rowers measure around 178 cm to 186 cm for around 72.5 kg (men) and around 164 cm to 174 cm for around 58.5 kg (women). The body type is mostly mesomorphic or ectomorphic , regardless of gender , while rowers of the open weight class more often also have an endomorphic type .

The World Rowing Federation (FISA) recognized this in the early 1970s and introduced the lightweight class with a weight limit for men at the 1974 World Rowing Championships, which was still young at the time ; Lightweight races for women followed in 1985, and since 1996 three lightweight boat classes have been run in the Olympic regatta . This opened up the sport of rowing to a much larger group of people and to new countries, after lightweight rowing had been a shadowy existence for many decades and was hardly taken seriously.

The physical homogeneity among lightweight rowers due to the weight limit has several consequences. A good rowing technique plays a much more important role in the sporting success in the restricted class than in the rowers in the open weight class. Additionally, lightweight races are known to often end with tight finish lines.

Compared to rowers of the unlimited weight class, lightweights are around 2% to 6% slower on the Olympic competition course of 2000 meters, if the world best times of all boat classes are compared with each other as a reference . The difference can be greater in unfavorable conditions such as headwinds , as physical performance then plays a greater role. Over long distances of 6 kilometers, for example, the difference between the weight classes disappears because the muscles mostly work below the aerobic threshold and the performance benefit is therefore lower due to a higher body weight. A higher physical performance is therefore approximately completely dissipated through the stronger friction of the boat hull in the water and not converted into a higher speed. In long-distance races, this can be observed regularly under comparable conditions.

Competitions

International lightweight rowing

The Dane Eskild Ebbesen is one of the most successful lightweight rowers in the world with three Olympic gold and two bronze medals.

At the international level, races for lightweights are held at the Olympic regatta (since 1996), the rowing world championships , the European rowing championships and the preparatory regattas for the rowing world cup . Since the Olympic regatta is nominally the most demanding competition in international rowing, the Olympic lightweight boat classes are usually filled with the best lightweight rowers. These are in particular:

The competition in the men's lightweight four without a helmsman (LM4-) was also held at the Olympic Games from 1996 to 2016, but was then removed from the program at the insistence of the International Olympic Committee . Accordingly, from 2020 a maximum of two women and two men per nation can take part in lightweight rowing in the Olympic regatta. In the open weight class there are considerably more boat spaces (in the case of a qualification of all boat classes, 22 women and men each, each including a helmsman ).

At the annual World Rowing Championships , lightweight boat classes have been held for men since 1974 and also for women since 1985. In addition to the Olympic boat classes, these are lightweight areas:

In the past, the lightweight four without a helmsman for women (LW4-) and later the lightweight two without a helmsman for women (LW2-) were held at the World Rowing Championships. Due to low registration numbers that were belt -Bootsklassen but the gentle women painted after 2003 from the program. The women's lightweight eight (LW8 +) was never part of the World Rowing Championships, while the men's lightweight eighth was held from 1974 to 2015. The lightweight foursome without a helmsman (LM4-) was no longer rowed at world championships after being deleted from the Olympic program after 2017.

At the early European Rowing Championships from 1893 until the temporary suspension after the event in 1973, no boat classes for lightweights were extended. Since the resurrection of the European Championships in 2007, the Olympic lightweight boat classes have been part of the program.

National lightweight rowing

At the national level, lightweight rowing takes place in the senior age group (from 19 years) in many countries. The main focus is on boat classes that are also used internationally.

In the junior and children's age groups, lightweight rowing is not without controversy and is therefore not offered in some countries such as the United Kingdom. In Germany, on the other hand, many lightweight boat classes are used at the German Youth Championships , even if no qualification for an international competition is possible. In Austria only the one of the juniors is part of the championship. In Switzerland there is no lightweight rowing in the junior area.

Weight limits and weighing

The weight limits are set internationally by the World Rowing Association in the “FISA Rule Book” only for seniors (rowers from 19 years of age), as no lightweight races for juniors or children are held at this level. For these age groups, the upper weight limits are set by the national rowing associations. The German Rowing Association defines the following weight classes in its "Rowing Competition Rules" and "Regulations for the Conduct of Boys and Girls Competitions", whereby the limits for seniors correspond to the international standard:

Age group male Female
Team cut individual weight Team cut individual weight
Children 12 years 45.0 kg
Children 13 years 50.0 kg
Children 14 years 55.0 kg 52.5 kg
Juniors B (U-17) 62.5 kg 65.0 kg 52.5 kg 55.0 kg
Juniors A (U-19) 65.0 kg 67.5 kg 55.0 kg 57.5 kg
Seniors B (U-23)
Seniors A (open age group)
Masters (from 27 years) 		70.0 kg 72.5 kg 57.0 kg 59.0 kg

Without exception, every lightweight rower registered for a race is weighed once on the day of the regatta with his rowing clothing in accordance with the regulations . The weighing takes place under the supervision of a licensed referee between 60 and 120 minutes before the rower's first run of the day. If the maximum permissible average team weight and the individual individual weight for each team member are not achieved as a result, the entire team will be excluded from the competition. In the event of success, the team is entitled to start and all weighed lightweight rowers can start with their weight in other runs or races on the same day and with other lightweights without having to be weighed again. In regattas lasting several days, the lightweights are weighed every day on which they take part in runs or races. Children only need to be weighed once during an entire rowing event, at least one hour before their first race. For single rowers , the value of the maximum individual weight is decisive.

Helmsmen are generally exempted from the weight limits of lightweights, as special weight lower limits apply to them regardless of the weight class of their crew (55.0 kg for men, 50.0 kg for women). Your weight is therefore not included in the calculation of the average team weight.

Health risks

The lightweight rowing is regularly criticized because of possible health risks.

Weight making

As " Weight Make ", "Abschwitzen" or "boiling" the fast induced weight loss before weighing is called to respect the weight limit. In extreme cases, several kilograms of body weight are lost within the last week before the competition through often combined measures such as deliberate dehydration , reduced food intake and drug abuse. Even in the hours before the weigh-in, additional fluid is often secreted through the sweat through gentle movement with warm clothing .

In particular, dehydration of the body can quickly be dangerous to life. Heat stroke can result from poor thermoregulation of the body . The blood circulation and the function of the heart are also severely impaired in severe dehydration and can be fatal. In the long term, damage to the kidneys and liver in particular is to be expected from the effects of dehydration on the metabolism .

In addition to health risks, excessive weight gain is also accompanied by a measurable decrease in performance in competition. A short-term loss of up to 4% of body mass (2.3 kg to 2.8 kg) within 24 hours can be compensated for with aggressive rehydration after weighing, as well as carbohydrates and sodium . If you lose more weight, on the other hand, there can be a dramatic loss of performance that cannot be avoided even through fluid and food intake.

In the past, there have been isolated deaths of lightweight rowers in connection with weight training. At the first station of the Rowing World Cup on June 1, 2000 at the Oberschleissheim regatta course in Munich , the German lightweight rower Jörn Kerkhoff collapsed with heat stroke while weight training, fell into a coma and died two days later of multiple organ failure in the intensive care unit . There was a death in the USA in May 2005 when college rower Scott Laio died right after a race in the lightweight eighth. An autopsy found that dehydration had led to cardiac arrest . The Serbian lightweight rower Nemanja Nešić died on June 6, 2012 during rowing training, presumably of sudden cardiac arrest. It is not known to be directly related to weight gain. Nešić had only participated in the qualifying regatta for the Olympic regatta in London about two weeks before his death on the Rotsee in Lucerne with the Serbian lightweight four without a helmsman . The qualification was narrowly missed, but Nešić was still in training for another World Cup regatta.

Seasonal weight fluctuations

Over the course of a season, the body weight of many lightweights fluctuates by several kilograms. If the body weight has to be reduced too quickly in the weeks leading up to a competition, not only fat reserves but also muscles and bone tissue can be broken down. In women in particular, this can lead to osteoporosis and osteopenia in the long term . In the competition phase of the season, the body fat percentage of many lightweight rowers is around 7.5% for men and around 12.0% for women.

Long-term eating disorders

Various long-term eating disorders can develop with constant pressure from body weight goals . Women are slightly more affected than men, although their weight fluctuates significantly over the course of the season. Eating disorders in athletes are occasionally also summarized under the term " anorexia athletica " in order to emphasize the induction by sport.

Countermeasures

On the part of the national rowing associations and the "Sports Medicine Commission" of the world rowing association, there are no binding regulations on how to deal with the health risks of lightweight rowing. Nevertheless, there are guidelines as to when lightweights should have reached what body weight, even before the season, so that a strict diet and weight gain can be avoided before the competition. A reliable and regular control at association level can currently only take place within the framework of cadre measures in winter by, for example, a national coach, in which the body weight becomes a selection criterion for national team nominations outside the competition season. Lightweight rowers who are not state or federal cadres should be monitored by their club coaches for a healthy development of body weight.

The World Rowing Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibit the use of diuretics for dehydration and infusions for rehydration in competitions and, if used, leads to the athlete concerned being excluded from the competition.

In the junior area (U-19), the risks of lightweight rowing are viewed particularly critically, as rapid weight loss and weight gain have a clear impact on the growth of young people. In some countries like the UK , therefore, there is no lightweight rowing for juniors.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Anu Dudhia: Effect of Weight in Rowing. Retrieved January 19, 2013 .
  2. ↑ a b c D. A. Kerr, WD Ross, K. Norton, P. Hume, M. Kagawa, TR Ackland: Olympic lightweight and open-class rowers possess distinctive physical and proportionality characteristics . In: Journal of Sports Sciences . tape 25 , no. 1 , 2007, p. 43-53 , doi : 10.1080 / 02640410600812179 .
  3. ↑ Distribution of body sizes by gender in Germany (2006). Statista , accessed January 19, 2013 .
  4. ↑ a b G. J. Slater, AJ Rice, I. Mujika, AG Hahn, K. Sharpe, DG Jenkins: Physique traits of lightweight rowers and their relationship to competitive success . In: British Journal of Sports Medicine . tape 39 , no. 10 , 2005, pp. 736-741 ( online [accessed January 18, 2013]). online ( Memento of the original from March 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / bjsm.bmj.com
  5. ↑ Thomas E. Weil: A Brief Time-Line of Rowing. (No longer available online.) Rowinghistory.net, archived from the original on January 20, 2013 ; Retrieved January 19, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.rowinghistory.net
  6. ^ Rules of racing. (PDF; 434 kB) British Rowing , accessed January 14, 2013 .
  7. ↑ FISA Rule Book 2015, p. 56. World Rowing Association (FISA), accessed on February 14, 2016 .
  8. ↑ Rowing competition rules (RWR) of the German Rowing Association; valid from January 1, 2016. (PDF; 666 kB) (No longer available online.) In: www.rudern.de. German Rowing Association, archived from the original on April 29, 2016 ; Retrieved April 29, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.rudern.de
  9. ↑ Regulations for the implementation of boys 'and girls' competitions. (PDF; 81 kB) (No longer available online.) German Rowing Association, archived from the original on February 9, 2016 ; accessed on February 9, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.rudern.de
  10. ↑ a b c J. H. Wilmore: Weight Category Sports . In: Ronald J. Maughan (Ed.): Nutrition in Sport . 1st edition. Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford 2000, ISBN 0-632-05094-2 , pp. 637-645 .
  11. ^ A b Weight Loss by Lightweight Rowers and Coxswains. World Rowing Association, accessed on January 14, 2013 .
  12. ^ GJ Slater, AJ Rice, K. Sharpe, D. Jenkins, AG Hahn: Influence of Nutrient Intake after Weigh-In on Lightweight Rowing Performance . In: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise . tape 39 , no. 1 , 2007, p. 184–191 ( online [accessed January 18, 2013]).
  13. ^ A b Peter WR Lemon: Improving Performance With Nutrition . In: Volker Nolte (Ed.): Rowing Faster . 2nd, expanded edition. Human Kinetics, Champaign 2011, ISBN 978-0-7360-9040-7 , pp. 185-186 (English).
  14. ↑ After death while “boiling”: Light rowers in difficult waters. Rheinische Post online, June 7, 2000, accessed on January 14, 2013 .
  15. ↑ M. Dunker, M. Rehm, J. Briegel, M. Thiel, G. Schelling: Exertion-induced heat stroke; Death by "sweating": Lethal multiple organ failure due to accidental rise in body temperature in a 23-year-old athlete . In: The anesthesiologist . tape 50 , no. 7 , 2001, p. 500-505 , doi : 10.1007 / s001010100169 .
  16. ↑ Boston College rower Scott Laio this after competition. row2k.com, accessed January 14, 2013 .
  17. ↑ Ray Parrillo and Susan FitzGerald: Dehydration at root of Dad Vail rower's death Autopsy results showed Boston College's Scott Laio died from a fluid and electrolyte imbalance and heat stress. The Philadelphia Inquirer , accessed January 14, 2013 .
  18. ↑ Scott Laio Medical Assessment. row2k.com, accessed January 14, 2013 .
  19. ↑ Nemanja Nešić 1988–2012. World Rowing Association, accessed on January 14, 2013 .
  20. ^ J. Sundgot-Borgen: Eating Disorders in Athletes . In: Ronald J. Maughan (Ed.): Nutrition in Sport . 1st edition. Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford 2000, ISBN 0-632-05094-2 , pp. 510-522 .
  21. ↑ C. Sykora, CM Grilo, DE Wilfley, KD Brownell: Eating, weight, and dieting disturbances in male and female lightweight and heavyweight rowers . In: International Journal of Eating Disorders . tape 14 , no. 2 , 1993, p. 203-211 ( online [accessed January 18, 2013]).
  22. ↑ FISA Rule Book 2015, p. 110. World Rowing Association (FISA), accessed on February 14, 2016 .
  23. ↑ 2013 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods: S5. Diuretics and Other Masking Agents. (No longer available online.) World Anti-Doping Agency , archived from the original on September 27, 2016 ; Retrieved January 18, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / list.wada-ama.org
  24. ↑ British Rowing to clarify lightweight rules. (No longer available online.) British Rowing, archived from the original January 14, 2013 ; accessed on January 14, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.britishrowing.org