Coxed Fours, Men

Nations boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics had won the last two Olympic gold medals in the men’s coxed fours and seven of the last eight World Championship titles. This left New Zealand, the defending World Champion, in a good position to take the crown in Los Angeles. The United States, as the reigning Pan American champions, also had a serious claim to the title. In the opening round, however, Great Britain bested both of these nations by a considerable margin to win its heat, while Italy took the other heat. The final was not overly dramatic, with Great Britain, the United States, New Zealand, and Italy well-spaced out as they crossed the finish line in that order. Great Britain’s victory was the once-mighty rowing nation’s first Olympic gold medal in the sport since 1948, when Jack Wilson and Ran Laurie won the coxless pairs. It was also the first of five gold medals for Olympic rowing legend Steven Redgrave. Since winning gold on home water in 1948, Britain had only sporadic and minor success but in 1984 the selection process changed dramatically. Inside of choosing established club or university crews as a whole, they selected the best rowers nationwide and established crews made up of these rowers to form a genuine national team. This turned the British from a moderate outfit to one of the dominant teams for the rest of the century and beyond.