The events that unfolded on the somewhat playful Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas already seem but a distant memory. With freshly anointed Olympic champions consigned to the record books and four years of speculation firmly put to bed, Rio recedes into history. Tokyo, a new prize, far on the horizon, beckons now. And with it, the unknown.
In the coming months we will say farewell not only to Olympic heroes as they retire from international competition but entire Olympic rowing events as the sport must now align itself with the forty Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations devised by the IOC back in December of 2014. Of particular impact is IOC Recommendation 11: ‘Foster Gender-Equality’. Currently the Olympic regatta offers 27 men’s places across eight boat types, to 20 women’s places in six boats (no women's light or heavyweight four). With the sport of rowing capped by the IOC to 550 athletes and 14 events, FISA has no option but to lose at least one of the current men’s events and replace it with a women’s one. We don't know which events yet. This will be voted on at the FISA Extraordinary Congress next year, before presentation to the IOC for approval. But whatever they decide, for at least one of the men’s events, Rio will have been the last hurrah.