Rowing at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed four

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Men's coxed four
at the Games of the XV Olympiad
Jan Jindra.jpg
Commemorative postcard featuring Jan Jindra
Venue Mei Bay, Helsinki
Dates20–23 August 1952
Competitors85 from 17 nations
Winning time7:33.4
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svgFlag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
Silver medal icon.svgFlag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
Bronze medal icon.svgUS flag 48 stars.svg  United States
  1948
1956  

The men's coxed four competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics took place at Mei Bay, Helsinki, Finland. It was held from 20 to 23 August and was won by the team from Czechoslovakia. [1] There were 17 boats (85 competitors) from 17 nations, with each nation limited to a single boat in the event. [2] The gold medal was Czechoslovakia's first medal in the men's coxed four. Switzerland earned its third consecutive silver medal, and sixth medal in seven Games dating back to 1920 (the only Games in that time where the Swiss team did not win a medal was 1932, when no Swiss boat competed). The reigning champion United States took bronze.

Background

This was the ninth appearance of the event. Rowing had been on the programme in 1896 but was cancelled due to bad weather. The coxed four was one of the four initial events introduced in 1900. It was not held in 1904 or 1908, but was held at every Games from 1912 to 1992 when it (along with the men's coxed pair) was replaced with the men's lightweight double sculls and men's lightweight coxless four. [2]

The Italian team was regarded as the slight favourite for the event; they had won gold at the European Rowing Championships in 1949, silver in 1950, and gold again in 1951, with the team having changed between competitions. Of the New Zealand team that had won the 1950 British Empire Games, three rowers were in the 1952 Olympic event: Ted Johnson, John O'Brien, and Colin Johnstone. The Danish team was made up of the 1950 European Rowing Championships winners: Niels Kristensen, Ove Nielsen, Peter Hansen, Bent Blach Petersen, and Eivin Kristensen. The New Zealand and Italian team met in the repechage and New Zealand was eliminated. The Czechoslovakian team dominated the competition and won every round. In the final, they defeated the Swizz quad, while the team from the USA—the winners of the 1948 Olympic competition—won bronze. [1]

Egypt and the Soviet Union each made their debut in the event. France and the United States both made their seventh appearance, tied for most among nations to that point.

Competition format

The coxed four event featured five-person boats, with four rowers and a coxswain. It was a sweep rowing event, with the rowers each having one oar (and thus each rowing on one side). The competition used the 2000 metres distance that became standard at the 1912 Olympics and which has been used ever since except at the 1948 Games. [3]

Based on a previous decision, each boat raced a minimum of two races before it could be eliminated. [4]

The competition featured five rounds (three main rounds and two repechages).

Schedule

All times are Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3)

DateTimeRound
Monday, 21 July 19529:00
9:00
16:00
Quarterfinals
First repechage
Semifinals
Tuesday, 22 July 19529:00Second repechage
Wednesday, 23 July 195216:00Final

Results

Quarterfinals

Four heats were rowed on 20 July. [5] Three of the heats had four teams and one had five teams, with the first two teams to qualify for the semifinals, and the remaining teams progressing to the round one repechage. [6]

Quarterfinal 1

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Didier Moureau Flag of France.svg  France 7:18.4Q
2 Boris Brechko Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 7:19.9Q
3 Domenico Cambieri Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 7:20.5R
4 Luis Omedes Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain 7:25.5R
Antero Tukiainen Flag of Finland.svg  Finland DNF [5] R

Quarterfinal 2

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Al Rossi US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 7:17.9Q
2 Paul Massey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 7:18.3Q
3 Eivin Kristensen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 7:33.9R
4 Albert Selim El-Mankabadi Flag of Egypt (1922-1953).svg  Egypt 7:52.8R

Quarterfinal 3

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Miroslav Koranda Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 7:16.6Q
2 Leif Andersen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7:21.6Q
3 Hans Caro Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 7:24.9R
4 Tamatsu Kogure Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 7:29.8R

Quarterfinal 4

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Walter Leiser Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 7:20.7Q
2 Jorge Arripe Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 7:24.4Q
3 Hans Joachim Wiemken Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 7:24.8R
4 Colin Johnstone Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 7:25.2R

First repechage

Three heats were rowed in the round one repechage on 21 July, [7] with the first team to qualify for the semi-final repechage. [8]

First repechage heat 1

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Domenico Cambieri Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 7:06.0Q
2 Colin Johnstone Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 7:07.3
3 Tamatsu Kogure Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 7:13.9

First repechage heat 2

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Eivin Kristensen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 7:03.4Q
2 Hans Joachim Wiemken Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 7:04.6
3 Luis Omedes Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain 7:06.9

First repechage heat 3

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Antero Tukiainen Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 7:00.7Q
2 Hans Caro Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 7:04.2
3 Albert Selim El-Mankabadi Flag of Egypt (1922-1953).svg  Egypt 7:21.0

Semifinals

Two heats were rowed in the semifinals on 21 July, [7] with the first team to qualify for the final, and all other teams to progress to the semifinal repechage. [9] [10]

Semifinal 1

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Al Rossi US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 7:07.6Q
2 Didier Moureau Flag of France.svg  France 7:11.2R
3 Leif Andersen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7:12.6R
4 Jorge Arripe Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 7:14.6R

Semifinal 2

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Miroslav Koranda Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 6:58.5Q
2 Walter Leiser Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 6:59.2R
3 Paul Massey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 7:04.1R
4 Boris Brechko Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 7:11.6R

Second repechage

Three heats were rowed in the semifinals repechage on 22 July, [7] with the winning teams progressing to the final. [10]

Second repechage heat 1

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Antero Tukiainen Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 7:03.5Q
2 Boris Brechko Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 7:05.1
3 Didier Moureau Flag of France.svg  France 7:09.4

Second repechage heat 2

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Walter Leiser Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 7:02.3Q
2 Domenico Cambieri Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 7:06.0
3 Jorge Arripe Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 7:14.8

Second repechage heat 3

RankRowersCoxswainNationTimeNotes
1 Paul Massey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 7:02.3Q
2 Leif Andersen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 7:06.6
3 Eivin Kristensen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 7:08.6

Final

Jiri Havlis of the Czech team with his gold medal Jiri Havlis.jpg
Jiri Havlis of the Czech team with his gold medal

Five teams reached the final, which was decided in one race held on 23 July. [7] [11] While conditions had been favourable on the first three days of racing, the day the finals were held saw wind at considerable force. This wind died down later, but the coxed four was the first race of the day and the results were affected by the strong wind. [4]

RankRowersCoxswainNationTime
Gold medal icon.svg Miroslav Koranda Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 7:33.4
Silver medal icon.svg Walter Leiser Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 7:36.5
Bronze medal icon.svg Al Rossi US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 7:37.0
4 Paul Massey Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 7:41.2
5 Antero Tukiainen Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 7:43.8

Notes

  1. 1 2 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Coxed Fours, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  3. "Why Do We Race 2000m? The History Behind the Distance". World Rowing. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 Official Report of the Organising Committee 1955, p. 606.
  5. 1 2 Official Report of the Organising Committee 1955, p. 618.
  6. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours Round One". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Official Report of the Organising Committee 1955, p. 619.
  8. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours Round One Repêchage". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  9. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours Semi-Finals". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  10. 1 2 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours Semi-Finals Repêchage". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  11. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours Final Round". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.

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References