Rowing at the 1976 Summer Olympics — rowing events during the 1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Montreal Olympics marked the first time women competed in Olympic rowing, across 14 events held at Notre Dame Island.
Key Facts
- Total events
- 14
- Women's race distance
- 1000 m metres
- Men's race distance
- 2000 m metres
- Venue
- Rowing basin, Notre Dame Island
- New event introduced
- Quadruple sculls (men without cox, women with cox)
- Women's Olympic rowing debut
- 1976
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The IOC's program commission sought to reduce the overall number of Olympic competitors, presenting recommendations to the executive board on 23 February 1973. Rowing was uniquely exempted from cuts; instead, the sport expanded by admitting women competitors for the first time in Olympic history.
Rowing at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal comprised 14 events held at the Notre Dame Island rowing basin. Women competed for the first time, racing over 1000 m, while the quadruple sculls discipline made its Olympic debut in both men's and women's categories.
Women's Olympic rowing was permanently established, with the distance later standardised to 2000 m at the 1988 Seoul Games. The quadruple sculls events introduced in 1976 became a permanent fixture of the Olympic rowing programme.