© 1999 Getty Images/
Shaun Botterill
© Igor Meijer
Talent identification is not new in rowing. The Eastern Europeans developed it
several decades ago and with increased focus on success at the Olympic Games
and subsequent funding support in a number of countries, identifying athletes
at a young age has grown in popularity.
So what does a top athlete look like? Using the
statistics of the gold medal winners at the 2008
Beijing Olympics, World Rowing has come up
with the ideal, or rather, average, composite
athlete. Here is what the typical profile of an
elite rower would be:
Height (Averages)
Female heavyweight = 182.8 cm
Male heavyweight = 193.5 cm
Female lightweight = 174 cm
Male lightweight = 184 cm
Weight (Averages)
Female heavyweight = 78kg
Male heavyweight = 94kg
Female lightweight = 59kg
Male lightweight = 73kg
