RowingRelated

This week, we're throwing it back to 1989. (No, not because of Taylor Swift.) The 1989 Lucerne International Regatta (predated the World Cup) saw more than a few legends involved in the final of the men's pair with coxswain, not least of which the famed Abbagnale brothers of Italy—the most decorated pair-with combination ever—and rowing's most successful athlete, five-time Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave of Great Britain. While the Abbagnale brothers characteristically led through much of the body of the race, the field caught up to them in the final 100 meters, and, as the video shows, the difference between first and fifth place was just six tenths of a second, with just 0.10 seconds separating first through fourth place. When the dust settled, the Abbagnale brothers had to tip their caps to Yugoslavia and East Germany (here listed as RDA instead of GDR because it's an Italian broadcast), while Redgrave and crew found themselves an unlucky fourth—truly a rem...

The 2014 World Rowing Championships are just four days away, and without a doubt one of the most anticipated events this year will be the men's pair with coxswain (how long has it been since we've been able to say that?). This is, of course, thanks to the Kiwi Pair's decision to double-up in the event. So, we thought it only fitting to take advantage of the occasion to reflect on one of the most dominant crews of the 20th century, another impressive duo, the Abbagnale brothers . Starting in 1981, the Abbagnales finished no lower than bronze (and that only once) at any world championships or Olympics until they retired from international competition in 1994. During that span, they were world champions nine times, including their two Olympic titles, and Giuseppe Abbagnale was the flag-bearer for Italy at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Indeed, it took one of the most amazing, seemingly impossible sprints in the modern history of rowing to keep the Abbagnales from w...