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Sweep Rowing is a rowing sport in which each rower has just one oar, which is maneuvered with both hands to propel the boat. Besides the rowers, each team can have an additional member referred to as a coxswain, who handles the navigation of the boat. As with any race, the team that crosses the finish line first, without being disqualified, is adjudged the winner.

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The equipment used for the sport are: a racing boat with a rudder, and a set of oars. The boats and oars were made of wood in the past, but are currently made out of a hybrid carbon based material.

Sweep Rowing races are of various formats, based on the number of athletes on each team, the weight of the athletes, whether a coxswain is present or not, and the race distance. Races of all formats are held separately for both men and women.

For Olympics and World Championships, all races are of a fixed distance of 2000 meters. Races with two and four member teams are conducted without a coxswain and eight member team races are conducted with a coxswain. All races are conducted for the heavyweight category except for, the four member without a coxswain race, which is held for both heavyweight and lightweight categories.

Sweep Rowing requires extreme levels of endurance and coordination among all members of the team, and is hence considered one of the most difficult sports in the world.

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Similar Sports

• Sculling Rowing — a form of rowing, in which a person uses oars, one in each hand, to propel a single or double scull rowing boat.
• Indoor Rowing — competitions performed on a rowing machine that simulates the on water action.
• Surfboat Rowing — a team of riders compete using surfboats on a course out and back through the surf.
• Coastal (Offshore) Rowing — a type of rowing performed on open water, requiring wider and more robust boats than those used on rivers and lakes.
• Ocean Rowing — involves rowing races across entire seas and oceans.

Related Pages

• About the types of Rowing — a sport in which competitors propel a boat using oars.
• About Paddling Sports
• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports