Olympic Regattas

This photo went round the world:

In the M1X competition the favourite P.M. Kolbe (GER)

- World champion 1975 - led the field from the start

and looked the sure winner when he was nearly three 

length clear. In the strong headwind however he slowed 

down with 300 m to go, and 100 m before the finish 

line he was overtaken by Pertti Karppinen (FIN). This 

was the first gold medal for the Finn who managed to 

repeat his success in 1980 at OG Moscow and in 1984

at OG Los Angeles (Lake Casitas). The fight between 

Karppinen and Kolbe went on. 1980 Karppinen won

without much opposition as Kolbe could not start 

because of Germany's boycott of the Games. But in

1984 Kolbe saw his chance again. The Olympic M1X 

final then was a dramatic battle. Kolbe sculled in

front of his opponent for 1500 m but again had to

pay tribute to the amazing finish of Karppinen.

British brothers beat Italian brothers in a fantastic final sprint

The Abbagnale brothers with their coxwain Di Capua (ITA), M2+

Olympic champions 1984 + 1988 and seven times WRC gold medal

winners, looked like the certain victors in the M2+ final a couple of

hundred meters from the finish line when the Searle brothers raised

their stroke rate up to 44 and managed to overtake the favourites

within the last 15 strokes.