Rowing at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's eight


The men's coxed eight competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics took place at Lake Casitas in Ventura County, California, United States. It was held from 31 July to 5 August. New Zealand had won the last two world championships, and the other strong team, East Germany, was absent from the event due to the Eastern Bloc boycott. This made New Zealand the strong favourite. But the final was won by Canada, with the USA and Australia the other medallists, and New Zealand coming a disappointing fourth.

Background

East Germany had for many years been the dominating country for this boat class. From the 1976 Summer Olympics to the 1980 Summer Olympics, the country won every gold at Olympic and World Rowing Championships level. At the 1981 World Rowing Championships, East Germany came in fourth place, with the Soviet Union winning gold. In 1982 and 1983, the event was won by New Zealand, with East Germany coming second on both occasions. With the Eastern Bloc boycott affecting the 1984 Summer Olympics, New Zealand was thus regarded as the strong favourite. Another medal contender was the United States; they had won the 1983 Pan American Games.

Previous M8+ competitions

Results

Heats

The two heats in round one were rowed on 31 July. The winner of each heat advanced to the final, while the remaining teams went to the repechage.

Heat 1

Heat 2

Repechage

One heat was rowed in the repechage on 2 August. All five teams advanced to the final.
RankRowerCountryTimeNotes
1Craig Muller
Clyde Hefer
Samuel Patten
Tim Willoughby
Ian Edmunds
James Battersby
Ion Popa
Stephen Evans
Gavin Thredgold
5:51.68FA
2Blair Horn
Dean Crawford
J. Michael Evans
Paul Steele
Grant Main
Mark Evans
Kevin Neufeld
Pat Turner
Brian McMahon
5:56.44FA
3Duncan McDougall
Chris Mahoney
Salih Hassan
Clive Roberts
Adam Clift
John Pritchard
Malcolm McGowan
Allan Whitwell
Colin Moynihan
6:00.45FA
4Mario Castro
Carlos Neyra
Zibor Llanos
Giorgio Vallebuona
Alejandro Rojas
Víctor Contreras
Rodolfo Pereira
Marcelo Rojas
Rodrigo Abasolo
6:10.98FA
5Alain Duprat
Dominique Lecointe
Thierry Louvet
Patrick Vibert-Vichet
Jacques Taborski
Jean-Jacques Martigne
Olivier Pons
Bernard Chevalier
Jean-Pierre Huguet-Balent
6:18.71FA

Final

All seven teams that entered the competition rowed in a single final on 5 August.
RankRowerCountryTime
Blair Horn
Dean Crawford
J. Michael Evans
Paul Steele
Grant Main
Mark Evans
Kevin Neufeld
Pat Turner
Brian McMahon
5:41.32
Chip Lubsen
Andrew Sudduth
John Terwilliger
Chris Penny
Tom Darling
Fred Borchelt
Charles Clapp
Bruce Ibbetson
Bob Jaugstetter
5:41.74
Craig Muller
Clyde Hefer
Samuel Patten
Tim Willoughby
Ian Edmunds
James Battersby
Ion Popa
Stephen Evans
Gavin Thredgold
5:43.40
4Nigel Atherfold
Dave Rodger
Roger White-Parsons
George Keys
Greg Johnston
Chris White
Andrew Stevenson
Mike Stanley
Andy Hay
5:44.14
5Duncan McDougall
Chris Mahoney
Salih Hassan
Clive Roberts
Adam Clift
John Pritchard
Malcolm McGowan
Allan Whitwell
Colin Moynihan
5:47.01
6Alain Duprat
Dominique Lecointe
Thierry Louvet
Patrick Vibert-Vichet
Jacques Taborski
Jean-Jacques Martigne
Olivier Pons
Bernard Chevalier
Jean-Pierre Huguet-Balent
5:49.52
7Mario Castro
Carlos Neyra
Zibor Llanos
Giorgio Vallebuona
Alejandro Rojas
Víctor Contreras
Rodolfo Pereira
Marcelo Rojas
Rodrigo Abasolo
6:07.03

Footnotes