1978 World Rowing Championships

Background

Lake Karapiro was formed in 1947 through a hydroelectric project on the Waikato River. It was soon recognised as the best rowing venue in New Zealand, and was used for the 1950 British Empire Games. World rowing championships had been held since 1962 by FISA, the World Rowing Federation, and in 1974 New Zealand was provisionally awarded the 1978 world event. Don Rowlands, who had won rowing medals at British Empire and Commonwealth Games in the 1950s and would later become chairman of the 1978 World Rowing Championships organising committee, had lobbied for the event to come to New Zealand; prior to 1978, the event had always been held in the Northern Hemisphere. He found a supporter in Thomas Keller, the president of FISA. There was also some curiosity amongst the rowing fraternity how a small island nation from the South Pacific managed to win gold medals at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics, in men's coxed four and men's eight, respectively. But it was not until the 1976 Summer Olympics that 1978 event was confirmed, which left only two years to organise the event.

The entire event was organised by volunteers; the organising committee had no people in employment. Cyril Hilliard was the secretary of the organising committee. Volunteer labour erected a grandstand; all built with scaffolding. As Rowlands was a marine engineer, he designed the starting pontoon himself and the construction was carried out by James Hill, a former Olympic rower who was a joiner by trade. Hill also built the start and finish towers. A company donated 13 kit houses, and these were used as offices. Catering for the competitors was done by the New Zealand Army. It is estimated that in total, close to 100,000 spectators attended the four days of racing. Keller called it afterwards "the greatest regatta in living memory". Former British rower Dickie Burnell, who worked at Karapiro as a correspondent for The Times, labelled the event "the greatest show on water".

Twenty-eight countries were represented by their rowers in 140 boats, and this was the largest international sports competition that the country had organised up to that time. The event made a profit of NZ$155,000, which was used to fund a rowing foundation.

Medal summary

Medallists at the 1978 World Rowing Championships were:

Men's events

In the single sculls and coxless pair boat classes, the first three boats from each heat qualified for the semi-final, and three further semi-finalists were determined via a repechage. In all other boat classes, the first from each heat qualified for the final, with the other finalists determined via a repechage.

Men's lightweight events

Main article: 1978 FISA Lightweight Championships

In the history of the World Rowing Championships, 1978 was the only year when the lightweight rowing championships were not held in conjunction with the open men and women event. The 1978 FISA Lightweight Championships were held in Copenhagen, Denmark, during August.

Women's events

There were six boats nominated in the coxless pair and they went to the final without heats. In all other boat classes, the winner of each heat qualified for the final and all other finalists were determined via a repechage.

Event codes

New Zealand officials had expected their men to win three or four medals, and Rowlands stated that he expected the men's eight to win gold. In the end, the bronze won by New Zealand's eight was the host's only medal. This table does not include the lightweight events.

Medal table

The medal table excludes the lightweight events.

Finals

The Soviet Union were disqualified in the final of the women's coxed four.

Great Britain

Six men's teams and only one women's team from Great Britain competed at the championships.

References

References

1. "1978 World Rowing Championships". [[International Rowing Federation]].
2. (5 January 2016). "Rowing in New Zealand". [[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]].
3. (16 October 1978). "Eine überlange Saison im Rudern endet mit dem fernen WM-Treff". [[Berliner Zeitung]].
4. (17 September 2014). "The world comes to Karapiro". [[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]].
5. (18 July 2010). "World Rowing Champs: story of Kiwi can-do". [[The Sunday Star-Times]].
6. "1978 World Championships — Lake Karapiro New Zealand". Rowingmuseum.
7. Goile, Aaron. (17 May 2020). "Ironic send-off for former Hamilton undertaker Jim Hill". [[Stuff (website).
8. (20 December 2012). "1978 World Rowing Championships logo". [[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]].
9. (30 October 1978). "Im Frauenzweier ohne Vorläufe in das Finale". [[Neues Deutschland]].
10. "(M1x) Men's Single Sculls – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
11. "(M2-) Men's Pair – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
12. "(M2+) Men's Coxed Pair – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
13. "(M2x) Men's Double Sculls – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
14. "(M4-) Men's Four – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
15. "(M4+) Men's Coxed Four – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
16. "(M4x) Men's Quadruple Sculls – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
17. "(M8+) Men's Eight – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
18. "1978 World Rowing Lightweight Championships". [[International Rowing Federation]].
19. "(W1x) Women's Single Sculls – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
20. "(W2-) Women's Pair – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
21. "(W2x) Women's Double Sculls – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
22. "(W4+) Women's Coxed Four – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
23. "(W4x+) Women's Coxed Quadruple Sculls – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
24. "(W8+) Women's Eight – Final". [[International Rowing Federation]].
25. (1 November 1978). "Die Gastgeber der Ruder-WM hoffen nun auf neue Erfolge". [[Berliner Zeitung]].
26. "Medal Table". [[International Rowing Federation]].
27. Burnell, Richard. (6 November 1978). "Rowing". The Times.
28. Burnell, Richard. (1 November 1978). "Rowing". The Times.
29. (30 October 2017). "1978 World Rowing Championships". Rowing Story.