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WorldNet Service Installation Disk - Cybercathlon Games and Interactive Tour of Olympic Museum (1996).ISO
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00813_Field_st16.txt.txt
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1996-06-03
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The origins of rowing go back to prehistory: descriptions of the
sport can be found dating back
thousands of years. By the 15th
century, rowing contests were
already taking place and in the
19th century, competitive rowing
became very popular in the U.S.
and England. Rowing was to
have been part of the first modern
Olympics in 1896, but rough
weather canceled the events.
Rowing became an official
Olympic event in 1908.
There are currently 14 rowing and
sculling events, 8 for men and 6
for women. Women's events
have been part of the Olympics
only since 1976. In rowing, each
oarsman pulls a single oar with
both hands, with 2, 4, 6, or 8
people in a boat. In sculling, 2
shorter oars are used, one in each
hand. In women's events, the
Eastern Europeans have
dominated, but in 1992, the
Canadians took Gold in 3 of the 6
events. The American women
have won several medals in
rowing, including a Gold in 1984.
American men have won many
medals in rowing events through
the years, but have not been
dominant in the past few
Olympics. The Canadians and
Australians have been coming on
strong, along with the Eastern
Europeans and the Soviets. The
British also remain competitive in
rowing events.