Men's Light 4-

Finicky boats and erratic behavior; the light men’s four is one of the most volatile and highly coveted spots on the lightweight Olympic team. Not since the Danish “Golden Four” has there been a lightweight boat to truly dominate this event, and their World Record, set in 1999 in Lucerne still stands today. Eskild Ebbessen, the remaining member in that crew has rowed this boat for nearly a decade; rowing a 6:09 at this year’s World Championships, he appears he could row a decade more. But this is not the same four that it was at the 2004 Olympics, they have showed inconsistency throughout the World Cup events, and will probably need to battle to make the final where they will most likely fill out the lower half of the field.

China has seemingly come from no where to fill nearly every event with potential winners. This boat is unchanged since last years World Championship victory. Their meteoric ascendancy to the pinnacle of the rowing world is certainly raising some serious questions. The rowing community will have to wait and hold their breath that a scandal will not be forethcoming, something that would be very bad for a sport that prides itself on its integrity. Regardless, they have shown impressive speed again this year; winning the second World Cup with maniacal pushes through the thousand and again in the last 500 meters. As long as this boat is bonafide, it could be the next “Golden Four”.

Expect France to edge their bows in the mix of this event. A boat that has remained unchanged since their 2005 World Championship victory. They have showed inconsistent speed at this year’s World Cup, but no matter what they do, they always seem to have a hand in contesting a medal at the World Championships. Expect this very tried and tested crew to be a top contender for a medal.

Bubble crews that will have to race hard all week include the US, Netherlands, Ireland, and Great Britain. The US has shown flashes of brilliance this year, but injuries and line up changes have hindered their consistency. With a lineup that has been allowed to remain together for a few consecutive months they could snake into the A final and contest a medal.