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⚽ Sports and games 🏄 Water and snow

Rowing

Rowing

📖 In short

Rowing means moving a boat through water with oars. Many people row for fun and sport on lakes and rivers, and there are famous rowing races where teams compete in long, thin, fast boats.

🤩 Did you know?

  • The Henley Royal Regatta was first held in England in 1839.
  • Melbourne University Boat Club in Australia was founded in 1858.
  • Rowing has been an Olympic sport for a long time.
  • Rowing strengthens almost every muscle in the body.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 The oar

An oar is a long pole with a wide, flat blade at one end. The rower dips it in the water and pulls it back hard, so the boat moves forward.

🔍 Sitting backwards!

In racing boats rowers sit facing backward and push with their legs on seats that slide back and forth, so legs, back and arms all work together.

💡 The little cox

In some big boats with eight rowers, a light person sits at the back, called the cox, who steers the boat and calls out to keep the rowers in rhythm.

🎯 A team sport

Success in rowing needs perfect teamwork: all the rowers must dip their oars at exactly the same moment, like one person.

📸 More pictures

Rowing
Rowing

🧩 Test yourself

1 Which way do rowers face in racing boats?

2 What does the cox do in the boat?

3 Which picture shows “Rowing”?

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📷 Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons