Eights, Women

The Romanians were the reigning Olympic champions in the women’s coxed eights, as well as the winners of the event at the last three editions of the World Championships, and were therefore heavily favored to defend their crown at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Nearly their entire lineup had medals from previous editions of the Games, many of them gold and some from the eights. All but one of the remaining World medals from the past year belonged either to the United States, runners-up in 1998 and 1998, or Canada, runners-up in 1997 and bronze medalists in 1998 and 1999, with bronze in 1997 having gone to Great Britain. The Canadians were also the reigning Olympic runners-up. In the opening round, however, the Netherlands bested both Canada and the United States in the heats, although Romania rowed to an easy victory in its own heat. Romania was again dominant in the final, winning gold by a margin of almost three seconds, while the Netherlands demonstrated that their earlier success was not a fluke by stealing silver at a comfortable distance ahead of the Canadians. The Americans, meanwhile, continued to struggle and finished sixth and last.