MEN’S FOURS
M4-
Words: Rachel Quarrell / Photography: Steve McArthur
If you ever need to cite a rowing rivalry, that between Britain and Australia in the men's fours is one of the biggest. The Olympic gold medals have been shared between these two nations for the last seven Olympiads, and only twice in those 25 years has the loser not taken silver or bronze. We got to the 2021 final with reigning 2019 world champions Poland not having made the final, but European gold/silver/bronze medallists Britain, Romania and Italy were all present and correct alongside the Aussies (quickest in the early rounds), USA and the Dutch. The final pre-race wrinkle in this story was an overnight diagnosis of COVID for Bruno Rossetti, who was substituted by Marco di Constanza. Fortunately, under the carefully evolved FISA rules, the rest of the Italian team, including the four, just had time to test negative and thus continue racing, though not without some nervous moments. And so to the final.