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Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, July 25th (Reporter Gong Bing, Wan Pung Chow, Zhao Yan) The Tokyo Olympic Games, which was postponed for one year, finally opened, and the athletes who had been preparing for the war for five years finally had a chance to display their fists and feet. Whether it’s the joy of Sun Yiwen’s sword to seal his throat or the frustration of two-time Olympic champion Wu Jingyu who missed the medal, it’s all part of life.

Sticking to Tokyo is a blessing for athletes and even more so for sports.

The same is true for rowers, who are dormant for five years and released once. 522 athletes are competing in the Haizhisen Water Arena, which is located between two reclamation areas in Tokyo Bay. This figure ranks among the top in the number of individual athletes in the Olympic Games. Rowing, kayaking and sailing share the reputation of water-based sports (a total of 40 gold medals).

Rowing is not well-known in China, and people may still leave the impression that Tang Bin, Jin Ziwei, Xi Aihua and Zhang Yangyang won the first gold medal in rowing in China in the women’s quadruple sculls final at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. But rowing enjoys a high reputation in the international sports world, as well as in the Olympic Games.

Want to know the story behind the rowing boat? Let the reporter tell you the correct way to open the rowing boat.

Knowledge point 1: It has a long history.

Rowing originated in England. In 1775, Britain formulated the first competition rules and established a rowing club. In 1829, Oxford University and Cambridge University held the first inter-school rowing competition on the Thames, which is regarded as the origin of modern rowing, and this competition continues to this day.

Rowing was originally included in the first Olympic Games in 1896. Although it could not be held because of the weather, rowing has entered the history of modern Olympic Games. At the 1900 Paris Olympic Games, the men’s rowing competition was held. In 1976, the Montreal Olympic Games set up a women’s rowing event.

On July 20th, the men’s quadruple sculls of China rowing team were in training. Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong photo

In 1892, the International Rowing Federation was established in Italy and became the first member of the International Olympic Committee. Coubertin, the second president of the International Olympic Committee and the father of the modern Olympic movement, was a rower.

Rowing is one of the earliest modern sports in China. In 1859, there was rowing in the modern sports competition held in Waitanyuan, the intersection of Huangpu River and Suzhou River.

Knowledge point 2: Evergreen

There is no fierce physical confrontation in rowing competition, rather than a contest between opponents, it is a process of surpassing oneself. Rowers often have a long sports career, and athletes who have participated in more than three Olympic Games can be found everywhere. They became famous when they were young, and they still galloped in the field when they were not confused.

Redgrave, a famous British rower, won gold medals in five consecutive Olympic Games. Olaf Tift, a 45-year-old Norwegian rower, appeared in the Tokyo Olympic Games, which was his seventh Olympic Games.

Knowledge point 3: the pearl in the crown

There are 14 events in the Olympic rowing competition, including single, double, four and eight events, including single paddle and double paddle, which not only tests individuals, but also competes with teams.

Among them, the best rowers often appear in the single sculls event, which is the only event that relies entirely on the athletes’ strong personal ability. Players who win Olympic gold medals usually enjoy heroic honors.

But to say who is the jewel in the crown, it must be an eight-person boat.

Eight-person boat is the only rowing event in the Olympic Games that retains the helmsman. Because rowers compete with their backs to the finish line, the helmsman becomes the only one facing the finish line, so the eight-person boat is actually a cooperative project of nine athletes. The helmsman is the soul of the team, controlling the direction, grasping the rhythm, judging the situation and inspiring teammates. The eighth position closest to the helmsman is often the core member of the eight-person boat, which controls the paddle frequency rhythm of the whole boat. The rowers in the middle are called power rowers, and they need to paddle powerfully to make the rowing boat move forward quickly. At the No.1 and No.2 positions near the bow, the rowers should keep the balance of the boat while rowing. Eight-person boat is the perfect combination of athletes’ individual ability and team spirit.

The eight-person boat has the fastest speed, the neatest cooperation and the strongest strength display in rowing. If you overlook the game from the air by aerial photography, the appreciation of the final of the eight-person boat can only be described in one word: awesome! The final of the eight-person boat has always been the finale of the Olympic Games.

On July 24th, the players of China team competed in the women’s eight-person single-paddle helmsman preliminary round. Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong photo

Rowing competition is often fierce, and the medals in an Olympic Games are usually scattered. If you can win two or three gold medals, you will be regarded as a rowing power.

Knowledge point 4: aristocratic movement? Civilian movement?

In 1829, Oxford University and Cambridge University held the first inter-school rowing competition on the Thames, which was regarded by many as the origin of modern rowing. Since then, modern rowing has been inseparable from prestigious schools, which are closely related to the aristocratic class. Rowing is highly respected by the upper and middle class in Britain. This kind of team event requires tacit cooperation and etiquette of the players, as well as the support of family members. Rowing provides a social place for the upper class.

Different from the previous aristocratic and elite, rowing has become a national sport in Britain after entering the modern society. There are hundreds of rowing clubs in Britain, most of which are located in communities. Many British middle schools regard rowing as one of the important extracurricular activities for students.

In China, rowing is no longer as hard to reach as it used to be. There is a rowing club in Shunyi Olympic Water Park, and the holding of events such as land rowing, enterprise masters and prestigious schools has also stimulated people’s interest in rowing. On the one hand, rowing keeps its "aristocratic attribute" of respecting etiquette, on the other hand, it is accelerating the popularization and marketization, and the development space is increasingly broad.

Knowledge point 5: Olympic love

China rowing has won 1 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze in previous Olympic Games, involving 23 athletes. Among them, the first medal was won in 1988, and the first gold medal was won in 2008. After 13 years, is China rowing expected to see gold again?

On July 20th, the women’s quadruple sculls of China rowing team were in training. Xinhua News Agency reporter Du Yiyi photo

Judging from the current situation, the women’s quadruple sculls team of China, the world champion in 2019, advanced directly to the finals of Group A in the Olympic preliminaries, and the lead over the second place in the group was as high as 4.30 seconds, so there is great hope for winning gold.

Editor: Wang Qinou, Yu Sihui, Zhao Jiantong and Zhang Yueyuan (internship)

Produced by Xinhua News Agency Tokyo Olympic Games Reporting Group