Men's double sculls was an event in
Rowing at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Taking place at Lake Lanier, Georgia, United States, the 1996 Summer Olympics saw the debut of lightweight rowing events.
Medal table
Men's events
Women's events
See also
* Rowers at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Rowing is the act o ...
in Atlanta, United States. The event was held at
Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier (officially Lake Sidney Lanier) is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee Ri ...
between July 21 and July 27, 1996.
France, Norway, and Germany had won 11 of the last 12 World Championship medals and were represented at the 1996 Summer Olympics by
Frédéric Kowal and
Samuel Barathay,
Kjetil Undset
Kjetil Undset (born 24 August 1970) is a Norwegian competition rower and Olympic medalist.
He received a silver medal in quadruple sculls at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.[Steffen Størseth
Steffen Skår Størseth (born 26 April 1975) is a Norwegian competition rower and Olympic medalist.
He received a silver medal in double sculls at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta,][Sebastian Mayer
(Friedrich) Sebastian Mayer (actually Meier, 1773 – 9 May 1835) was a bass singer and stage director of the Classical era.
Life
Mayer was born at Benediktbeuern. In 1793, he joined the theater company of Emanuel Schikaneder.
On 23 Decem ...]
and
Roland Opfer
Roland Opfer (born 3 December 1974) is a German rower. He competed in the men's double sculls event at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly ...
respectively. France, represented in part by Barathay, was the 1993 World Champion and 1994 bronze medalist. Norway was the 1994 World Champion and 1993 runner-up and, with its Olympic duo, the 1995 bronze medalist, while Undset was also an Olympic silver medalist from the 1992 quadruple sculls. Germany had been runner-up at the last two editions of the World Championships and a bronze medalist in 1993. The lone exception to the dominance of these three nations was Denmark, who won the 1995 World Championships with
Lars Christensen
Lars Christensen (6 April 1884 – 10 December 1965) was a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate. He was also a philanthropist with a keen interest in the exploration of Antarctica.
Career
Lars Christensen was born at Sandar in Vestfold, Norw ...
and
Martin Haldbo Hansen
Martin Haldbo Hansen (born 2 February 1969 in Frederikssund) is a Danish rower. Together with Lars Christensen he finished fourth in the double sculls at the 1996 Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Ol ...
. Australia, meanwhile, sent one of its defending Olympic champions,
Peter Antonie
Peter Thomas Antonie OAM (born 11 May 1958) is an Australian former rower. He is an Olympic & Commonwealth games gold medallist and world champion. He is regarded as one of Australia's greatest ever rowers figuring in senior representative squ ...
, to Atlanta with a new partner,
Jason Day. Antoine was also one half of the winning crew at the 1995 Double Challenge Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta. Hungary's
Zsolt Dani
Zsolt Dani (born 4 August 1969) is a Hungarian rowing (sport), rower. He competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1996 Summer Olympics.
References
1969 births
Living people
Hungarian male rowers
Olympic rowers for Hungary
Rowers at ...
and
Gábor Mitring were the 1994 winners of that tournament.
In the opening round, Norway posted the fastest time by nearly five seconds, while the other heats were won by Denmark and the Italian duo of
Davide Tizzano
Davide Tizzano (born 21 May 1968 in Naples) is a retired rower from Italy and a double Olympic gold medalist. He won his first gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, in the quadruple scull. Eight years later he formed a team with Agost ...
and
Agostino Abbagnale
Agostino Abbagnale (born 25 August 1966) is an Italian rower and triple Olympic gold medalist. He is the younger brother of multiple Olympic medalists Carmine Abbagnale and Giuseppe Abbagnale.
Biography
Abbagnale was born in Pompei. He won his ...
, both of whom were Olympic champions in the quadruple sculls from 1988. The Hungarians, meanwhile, were eliminated in the repêchage. In the semi-finals it was France who eliminated the Australians with the fastest time in the round, nearly three seconds ahead of its closest competition, while Italy won the other heat. The race in the final was closer, but Italy, Norway, and France were all ahead of the pack and crossed the finish line in that order. Denmark, the reigning World Champions, came in fourth nearly five seconds later.
Medalists
Heats
*SA/B denotes qualification to Semifinal A/B.
*R denotes qualification to Repechage.
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
James Cracknell was one of the nominated British scullers but he was suffering from
tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils in the upper part of the throat. It can be acute or chronic. Acute tonsillitis typically has a rapid onset. Symptoms may include sore throat, fever, enlargement of the tonsils, trouble swallowing, and en ...
;
Guy Pooley
Guy Richard Pooley (born 2 October 1965) is an English rower who has competed for Great Britain in the Olympic Games, raced four times in the University Boat race and won major sculling events at Henley Royal Regatta and Head races.
Career
...
as backup rower replaced him.
Heat 4
Repechage
*SA/B denotes qualification to Semifinal A/B.
*RR denotes qualification to Rerace
Repechage 1
Repechage 2
Repechage 3
Repechage 4
The British replacement rower Pooley also replaced Cracknell in the repechage.
Rerace
*FC denotes qualification to Final C
*E denotes eliminated from competition
Rerace 1
The British rower Cracknell had by now recovered from his tonsillitis and took over from the replacement rower Pooley.
Rerace 2
Semi-finals
*F/A denotes qualification to Final A.
*F/B denotes qualification to Final B.
Semi-final 1
Semi-final 2
Finals
Final C
Final B
Final A
[*]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowing at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's double sculls
Rowing at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Men's events at the 1996 Summer Olympics