Competition dates

Friday 31 August – Sunday 2 September (Reserve Day Monday 3 September)

Competition venue

Eton Dorney, Buckinghamshire

Number of competitors

96: 48 men and 48 women
Each country is limited to one boat per event (eight athletes in total).

Classification

Paralympic Rowing has three categories of classification, indicating the amount of functional ability a rower has.
AS – arms and shoulders
TA – trunk and arms
LTA – legs, trunk and arms
A rower may compete in a higher category, but not a lower one: AS and TA rowers may compete in LTA events, but an LTA athlete may not compete in a TA race.

Read more about Paralympic Rowing classification

Number of medal events

Four – men’s and women’s Single Sculls (AS), a mixed Coxed Four (LTA) and a mixed Double Sculls (TA). All races are conducted over 1,000m.

Field of play

The lake at Eton Dorney is 2,200m long, with eight lanes. Race distances for the Paralympic Games are 1,000m, with only six lanes used.

History of Rowing at the Paralympic Games

The newest arrival on the Paralympic programme, Rowing appeared at the Games for the first time at Beijing in 2008.

The basics

Rowing events are head-to-head races. The sport is commonly referred to as ‘adaptive rowing’, meaning that the equipment is adapted so the athlete can practise the sport (rather than the sport being adapted to the athlete).

For a complete set of rules, please refer to the website of the International Rowing Federation (FISA), governing body for the sport.

Competition format

Races start with two heats; the winning boat from each heat progresses straight to final A. All events include a repechage, a series of further races to qualify boats for finals, and to rank all boats in order of performance.

The best four boats from the repechage go through to final A, with the others competing in final B (which ranks boats from seven to 12).

Officials

Officials include the president of the jury, timekeepers, aligner, start judge and finish judge.

Keys to success

Rowing depends on a combination of immense strength and stamina. Technique and teamwork are also vital to ensure getting the maximum speed and distance out of every stroke. A rower or team must time their race to perfection, ensuring they have enough energy left for a fighting finish if necessary.

Breaking the rules

Athletes can be penalised for infringements, such as a false start, leaving their lane or impeding another boat.

Jargon buster

Coxswain – the coxswain, or cox, typically sits at the stern and is responsible for steering the boat and directing the crew.
Scull – to row with two oars, one in each hand.
Sweep – to row with one oar.

Get involved

If you want to find out about Rowing in your country, including clubs, facilities and coaching schemes, check the website of your National Governing Body. To find out how you can get involved in Rowing in the UK, go to thegamesandbeyond.com

For more information on the Rowing competition at London 2012 and the rules of the sport, go to the website of the International Rowing Federation (FISA), the international governing body for the sport.