| Men's eight at the Games of the VIII Olympiad | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Postcard of the Australian team | ||||||||||
| Venue | Seine | |||||||||
| Dates | 15–17 July 1924 | |||||||||
| Competitors | 90 from 10 nations | |||||||||
| Winning time | 6:33.4 | |||||||||
| Medalists | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Rowing at the 1924 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single sculls | men |
| Double sculls | men |
| Coxless pair | men |
| Coxed pair | men |
| Coxless four | men |
| Coxed four | men |
| Eight | men |
The men'seight event was part of therowing programme at the1924 Summer Olympics. The competition, the sixth appearance of the event, was held from 13 to 17 July 1924 on the riverSeine. Ten teams (90 competitors), each from a different nation, competed.[1] The event was won by the United States, the nation's second consecutive and fourth overall victory in the event. Canada took silver, its first medal in the men's eight since 1908. Italy, making its debut in the event, took bronze.
Among the American rowers wasBenjamin Spock, who later became more known for his work in pediatrics and politics.
This was the sixth appearance of the event. Rowing had been on the programme in 1896 but was cancelled due to bad weather. The men's eight has been held every time that rowing has been contested, beginning in 1900.[2]
Great Britain and the United States were the dominant nations in the event, with the nations winning all five prior Olympic men's eight competitions between them. The United States held a 3–2 edge and the reigning crown. For the first time, Great Britain's top entry was not theLeander Club; instead, theThames Rowing Club (winners of the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1923) was the British boat in 1924. The Americans were represented by a crew fromYale University. Other contenders included the1923 European Rowing Championships winners from Italy.[2]
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Switzerland entered but withdrew before the competition.[2]
Argentina, Australia, Italy, and Spain each made their debut in the event (though Australian rowers had appeared as part of the Australasia team in 1912). Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, and the United States each made their fourth appearance, tied for most among nations to that point.
The "eight" event featured nine-person boats, with eight 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 course used the 2000 metres distance that became the Olympic standard in 1912.[3]
For the first time since 1900, there were more than 2 boats per heat. The tournament also introduced the repechage, allowing boats that did not win a race to have another opportunity to advance. The 1924 competition featured two main rounds (semifinals and a final) and one repechage.
| Date | Time | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, 15 July 1924 | Semifinals Repechage | |
| Thursday, 17 July 1924 | Final |
The top boat in each semifinal advanced to the final, with the second-placed boat (and the third-placed boat, in the semifinal with four boats) going to the repechage. The last placed boat in each semifinal was eliminated.
| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Godwin |  Great Britain | 6:04.0 | Q | |
| 2 | Marcel Wauters |  Belgium | Unknown | R | |
| 3 | Miguel Madero |  Argentina | Unknown | R | |
| 4 | J. Bétout |  France | Unknown |
| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laurence Stoddard |  United States | 5:51.0 | Q | |
| 2 | Ivor Campbell |  Canada | Unknown | R | |
| 3 | Jacob Cremer |  Netherlands | Unknown |
| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vittorio Gliubich |  Italy | 6:06.0 | Q | |
| 2 | Robert Cummings |  Australia | Unknown | R | |
| 3 | José Martínez |  Spain | Unknown |
The top boat advanced to the final, with the other three eliminated.
| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivor Campbell | Canada | 6:37.0 | Q | |
| 2 | Miguel Madero | Argentina | 6:42.0 | ||
| 3 | Robert Cummings | Australia | 6:47.0 | ||
| 4 | Marcel Wauters | Belgium | 6:52.0 |
| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Laurence Stoddard | United States | 6:33.4 | |
 | Ivor Campbell | Canada | 6:49.0 | |
 | Vittorio Gliubich | Italy | Unknown | |
| 4 | Jack Godwin | Great Britain | Unknown |
