Rowing at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed pair explained

Event:Men's coxed pair
Games:1960 Summer
Venue:Lake Albano,
Dates:31 August – 3 September
Competitors:54
Nations:18
Longnames:yes
Win Value:7:29.14
Gold:Bernhard Knubel
Heinz Renneberg
Klaus Zerta
Goldnoc:EUA
Silver:Antanas Bagdonavičius
Zigmas Jukna
Igor Rudakov
Silvernoc:URS
Bronze:Richard Draeger
Conn Findlay
Kent Mitchell
Bronzenoc:USA
Prev:1956
Next:1964

The men's coxed pair competition at the 1960 Summer Olympics took place at took place at Lake Albano, Italy.[1] It was held from 31 August to 3 September. There were 18 boats (54 competitors) from 18 nations, with each nation limited to a single boat in the event. The three nations on the podium were the same as those in 1956, though in a different order (and with only 1 of the 9 individual competitors being the same). The event was won by the United Team of Germany (bronze in 1956), with Bernhard Knubel and Heinz Renneberg rowing with Klaus Zerta the coxswain. Zerta is the youngest confirmed male gold medalist in Olympic history at 13 years and 283 days, just beating Hans Bourquin (also in the men's coxed pair, in 1928) by 9 days.[2] [3] [4] The 1900 men's coxed pair gold-medal-winning coxswain may have been younger (estimates range from 7 to 12 years old), but the identities and ages of most coxswains in that event, including the gold medalist, are not known. The Soviet Union, bronze in 1956, took silver this time with Antanas Bagdonavičius, Zigmas Jukna, and Igor Rudakov. Defending champions the United States took bronze; Conn Findlay was the only man from the 1956 podium to return, this time with Richard Draeger as his rowing partner and Kent Mitchell the coxswain.

Background

This was the 10th appearance of the event. Rowing had been on the programme in 1896 but was cancelled due to bad weather. The men's coxed pair was one of the original four events in 1900, but was not held in 1904, 1908, or 1912. It returned to the programme after World War I and was held every Games from 1924 to 1992, when it (along with the men's coxed four) was replaced with the men's lightweight double sculls and men's lightweight coxless four.[5]

Only 1 of the 12 competitors from the 1956 coxed pair final returned: Conn Findlay from the gold-medal United States team. The United Team of Germany had been dominant the last few years other than their second-place finish to the Americans in the 1956 Games, winning four European championships with various crew compositions.[5]

Czechoslovakia, Romania, Spain, and Uruguay each made their debut in the event. The United States made its eighth appearance, matching the absent France for most among nations to that point.

Competition format

The coxed pair event featured three-person boats, with two rowers and a coxswain. It was a sweep rowing event, with the rowers each having one oar (and thus each rowing on one side). The course used the 2000 metres distance that became the Olympic standard in 1912 (with the exception of 1948).[6]

This rowing competition consisted of two main rounds (heats and final), as well as a repechage round that allowed teams that did not win their heats to advance to the final.

Schedule

All times are Central European Time (UTC+1)

DateTimeRound
Wednesday, 31 August 1960 10:00 Semifinals
Thursday, 1 September 1960 15:00 Repechage
Saturday, 3 September 1960 16:30 Final

Results

Semifinals

Heat 1

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Time Notes
1 7:31.70
2 7:39.50
3 7:47.60
4 7:49.81
5 7:55.59
6 7:59.42

Heat 2

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Time Notes
1 7:43.38
2 7:48.01
3 7:56.06
4 8:02.36
5 8:06.44

Heat 3

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Time Notes
1 7:31.64
2 7:36.04
3 7:38.17
4 7:49.06
5 8:09.20
6 8:14.40

Repechage

Repechage heat 1

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Time Notes
1 7:39.00
2 7:45.02
3 7:59.33
4 8:04.63
5 8:18.29

Repechage heat 2

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Time Notes
1 7:39.52
2 7:40.98
3 7:42.15
4 7:47.82
5 7:54.75

Repechage heat 3

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Time Notes
1 7:39.70
2 7:48.05
3 7:49.01
4 7:50.77
5 8:01.35

Final

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Time
7:29.14
7:30.17
7:34.58
4 7:39.20
5 7:40.92
6 7:49.57

Results summary

Rank Rowers Coxswain Nation Semifinals Repechage Final
7:31.64 7:29.14
7:31.70 7:30.17
7:39.50 7:39.00 7:34.58
4 7:36.04 7:39.70 7:39.20
5 8:09.20 7:39.52 7:40.92
6 7:43.38 7:49.57
7 7:47.60 7:40.98 rowspan=12
8 7:48.01 7:42.15
9 7:38.17 7:45.02
10 7:49.06 7:47.82
11 7:49.81 7:48.05
12 7:55.59 7:49.01
13 7:56.06 7:50.77
14 7:59.42 7:54.75
15 8:02.36 7:59.33
16 data-sort-value=9:99.998:01.35
17 8:06.44 8:04.63
18 8:14.40 8:18.29

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rowing at the 1960 Rome Summer Games: Men's Coxed Pairs . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418125016/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1960/ROW/mens-coxed-pairs.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . Sports Reference . 12 August 2018.
  2. Web site: Oldest and Youngest Olympians (Summer Games) . 8 April 2021 . 7 May 2021.
  3. Web site: Hans Bourquin . Olympedia . 7 May 2021.
  4. Web site: Klaus Zerta . Olympedia . 7 May 2021.
  5. Web site: Coxed Pairs, Men . Olympedia . 7 May 2021.
  6. Web site: Why Do We Race 2000m? The History Behind the Distance . World Rowing . 1 May 2017 . 19 April 2021.