Lightweight Double Sculls, Men

Tomasz Kucharski and Robert Sycz of Poland were the defending Olympic champions, but they had been runners-up at the last three World Championships, losing every time to Italy’s Elia Luini and Leonardo Pettinari, the 2000 Olympic silver medalists. Although these two nations were favored at the 2004 edition, both lost their opening round heats, Italy to the Greek duo of Vasilios Polymeros and Nikos Skiathitis and Poland to Danes Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist, the 2002 World bronze medalists. The other heats went to Ireland’s Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey, the 2003 World bronze medalists, and France’s Frédéric Dufour and Pascal Touron, the latter of whom was a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist and both of whom posted the fastest time of the round. A big surprise came in the finals when Italy struggled in a heat won by France and finished fifth behind Ireland, leading to its elimination. Poland won its heat easily and, with its strongest challenger gone, was able to claim the gold medal in the final, although it faced a surprisingly strong challenge from France, who came in for silver just over half a second later. The Greeks, meanwhile, battled the Danes for the final podium spot and came out on top by a margin of only 0.69 seconds to win their nation its first Olympic rowing medal, if one discounts those earned in the odd 6- and 17-man naval rowing boats events at the 1906 Intercalated Games.