Rowing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's quadruple sculls explained

The women's quadruple sculls event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place from 23 to 28 July 2021 at the Sea Forest Waterway.^[1] 40 rowers from 10 nations competed.^[2]

Background

This was the 12th appearance of the event, which has been held every year since women's rowing was introduced in 1976. The reigning medalists in the event were Germany, Netherlands, and Poland. All three qualified boats for the event.

Qualification

See main article: Rowing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification.

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) has been limited to a single boat in the event since 1912. There were 10 qualifying places in the women's quadruple sculls:^[2]

• 8 from the 2019 World Championship
• 2 from the final qualification regatta

Competition format

This rowing event was a quadruple scull event, meaning that each boat is propelled by four rowers. The "scull" portion means that the rower uses two oars, one on each side of the boat; this contrasts with sweep rowing in which each rower has one oar and rows on only one side. The competition consists of two rounds. Finals are held to determine the placing of each boat. The course used the 2000 metres distance that became the Olympic standard in 1912.^[3]

During the first round two heats were held. The first two boats in each heat advanced to final A, while all others were relegated to the repechages.

The repechage offered rowers a second chance to qualify for Final A. The top two boats in the repechage moved on to the semifinals, with the remaining boats sent to Final B.

There are two finals. Final A determined the medalists and the places through 6th. Final B determined places seven through ten.

Schedule

The competition was held over five days.^[1]

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Date	Time	Round
Friday, 23 July 2021	11:50	Heats
Sunday, 25 July 2021	10:50	Repechage
Wednesday, 28 July 2021	9:00	Final B
Wednesday, 28 July 2021	10:50	Final A

Results

Heats

The first two of each heat qualified for the final, while the remainder went to the repechage.^{[4] [5]}

Heat 1

Rank	Lane	Rower	Nation	Time	Notes
1	2	Daniela Schultze Franziska Kampmann Carlotta Nwajide Frieda Hämmerling		6:18.22
2	4	Laila Youssifou Inge Janssen Olivia van Rooijen Nicole Beukers		6:19.36
3	1	Hannah Scott Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne Lucy Glover		6:20.80
4	3	Georgia Nugent-O'Leary Ruby Tew Eve MacFarlane Olivia Loe		6:25.23
5	5	Cicely Madden Alison Rusher Meghan O'Leary Ellen Tomek		6:34.36

Heat 2

Rank	Lane	Rower	Nation	Time	Notes
1	2	Yunxia Chen Ling Zhang Yang Lü Xiaotong Cui		6:14.32
2	1	Agnieszka Kobus Marta Wieliczko Maria Sajdak Katarzyna Zillmann		6:18.62
3	4	Valentina Iseppi Alessandra Montesano Veronica Lisi Stefania Gobbi		6:20.45
4	5	Ria Thompson Rowena Meredith Harriet Hudson Caitlin Cronin		6:26.21
5	3	Violaine Aernoudts Margaux Bailleul Marie Jacquet Emma Lunatti		6:33.64

Repechage

The first two qualified for the final, while the remainder went to the B final and were out of medal contention.^{[6] [7]}

Rank	Lane	Rower	Nation	Time	Notes
1	2	Ria Thompson Rowena Meredith Harriet Hudson Caitlin Cronin		6:36.67	FA
2	3	Valentina Iseppi Alessandra Montesano Veronica Lisi Stefania Gobbi		6:37.44	FA
3	5	Georgia Nugent-O'Leary Ruby Tew Eve MacFarlane Olivia Loe		6:39.91	FB
4	4	Hannah Scott Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne Lucy Glover		6:42.97	FB
5	6	Violaine Aernoudts Margaux Bailleul Marie Jacquet Emma Lunatti		6:47.41	FB
6	1	Cicely Madden Alison Rusher Meghan O'Leary Ellen Tomek		6:50.74	FB

Finals

Final B

Rank	Lane	Rower	Nation	Time	Notes
7	2	Hannah Scott Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne Lucy Glover		6:25.14
8	3	Georgia Nugent-O'Leary Ruby Tew Eve MacFarlane Olivia Loe		6:29.00
9	4	Violaine Aernoudts Margaux Bailleul Marie Jacquet Emma Lunatti		6:29.70
10	1	Cicely Madden Alison Rusher Meghan O'Leary Ellen Tomek		6:30.03

Final A

Rank	Lane	Rower	Nation	Time	Notes
	3	Chen Yunxia Zhang Ling Lü Yang Cui Xiaotong		6:05.13	,
	5	Agnieszka Kobus Marta Wieliczko Maria Sajdak Katarzyna Zillmann		6:11.36
	6	Ria Thompson Rowena Meredith Harriet Hudson Caitlin Cronin		6:12.08
4	1	Valentina Iseppi Alessandra Montesano Veronica Lisi Stefania Gobbi		6:13.33
5	4	Daniela Schultze Franziska Kampmann Carlotta Nwajide Frieda Hämmerling		6:13.41
6	2	Laila Youssifou Inge Janssen Olivia van Rooijen Nicole Beukers		6:15.75

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rowing Competition Schedule . Tokyo 2020 . 6 May 2021 . 3 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210703154906/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/schedule/rowing-schedule . dead .
2. Web site: Qualification System – Games of the XXXII Olympiad – Rowing . . . 6 May 2021.
3. Web site: Why Do We Race 2000m? The History Behind the Distance . World Rowing . 1 May 2017 . 19 April 2021.
4. Web site: Rowing - Heat 1 Results. dead. 2021-07-23. Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. en-us. 25 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210725120835/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/rowing/results-women-s-quadruple-sculls-heat-000100-.htm.
5. Web site: Rowing - Heat 2 Results. dead. 2021-07-23. Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. en-us. 25 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210725220453/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/rowing/results-women-s-quadruple-sculls-heat-000200-.htm.
6. Web site: Rowing - Heat 1 Results. dead. 2021-07-23. Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. en-us. 25 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210725120835/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/rowing/results-women-s-quadruple-sculls-heat-000100-.htm.
7. Web site: Rowing - Heat 2 Results. dead. 2021-07-23. Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. en-us. 25 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210725220453/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/rowing/results-women-s-quadruple-sculls-heat-000200-.htm.