Advertisements
We start a week’s worth of content about lightweight rowing. The good, the bad and the potentially ugly.
Dialogue and awareness is important so that issues can be understood and discussed openly within the sport. We hope to stimulate discussion.
Please share these articles and ensure that coaches, athletes and your club committee become more aware of lightweight rowing and are prepared to discuss openly.
Talking about lightweights is a good starting point for making positive behaviour change.
Let us know what you think.
Advertisements
This Post Has 2 Comments
Had discussion recently with competitive masters women on this topic. We thought that raising the weight for masters light weight categories made a lot of sense. For example, the current 130 lbs for sprint season and 135 lb for head racing season could be changed to one weight, perhaps 135 (or even 140). This seems to healthier and potentially a smart way to provide competitive ‘leveling’ if venues and time frames allow.
I am sorry, but in no stretch of the imagination can 140 be considered “lightweight”. Historically, 50, 52, or 55 kg is more like a lightweight.
The same is true on the male side. Lightweight used to be 67.5 kg, but now Concept2 allows a lightweight to be 75 kg.
The lightweight class exists to allow a shorter athlete to compete on even terms with like athletes. If your physiology makes it unhealthy to make lightweight, gain strength and compete against other heavier rowers. Do not change the rules to suit your particular physiology, you are just harming other athletes whose physiology fits the rules.