Rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed four

The men's coxed fours was a rowing event held as part of the Rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event, which had been held at the 1900 Summer Olympics but had been replaced by coxless fours at the 1904 and 1908 Games. The standard coxed fours event allowed for outriggers, while another event was held in 1912 for boats with inriggers. The competition was held from Wednesday to Friday, 17 to 19 July 1912.[1]

Men's coxed fours at the Games of the V Olympiad
The gold medal winning team of Germany
Venue	Djurgårdsbrunnsviken
Dates	17 July (heats) 18 July (quarterfinals) 19 July (semifinals, final)
Competitors	56 from 9 nations
Medalists
Ludwigshafen  Germany Thames Rowing Club  Great Britain Polyteknisk  Denmark

Fifty six rowers from nine nations competed. Germany replaced their coxswain, maybe the Danish Polyteknisk replaced a rower, but this possible change is not counted.

Starting list

The following boats and/or rowing clubs participated:

•  Austria Ruderverein Germania, Leibnitz (other sources report Leitmeritz)
•  Belgium Royal Club Nautique de Grand
•  Denmark København Roklubb
•  Denmark Polyteknisk Roklub
•  Finland Helsingfors R. K.
•  France Société Nautique de Bayonne
•  Germany Ludwigshafener Ruderverein
•  Great Britain Thames R. C.
•  Norway Christiania Roklub
•  Norway Studenternes Roklub
•  Sweden Vaxholm Roddklubb

The silver medal winning team of Great Britain

Results

Heats

All heats were held on Wednesday, 17 July.

Heat 1: 6.20 p.m. The Danish boat raced without opponent.

Heat 1
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Polyteknisk (DEN)	Erik Bisgaard	Rasmus Frandsen	Mikael Simonsen[2]	Poul Thymann	Ejgil Clemmensen	7:20.0	QQ

Heat 2: 6.40 p.m. For a long time the two boats kept side by side, both crews rowing in good style, the Frenchman at 38–32, the Finns at 40–32. During the last 500 metres, however, the last named crew went away from its opponents, which seemed unable to make any effective spurt.

Heat 2
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Helsinsfors R. K. (FIN)	Johan Nyholm	Oskar Forsman	Karl Lönnberg	Emil Nylund	Valdemar Henriksson	7:18.2	QQ
2	Société Nautique de Bayonne (FRA)	André Mirambeau	Louis Thomaturgé	René Saintongey	Pierre Alibert	François Elichagaray

Heat 3: 7 p.m. The Norwegian crew took the lead with much resolution, rowing in excellent style with a well-pronounced swing and a good grip of the water. The Austrians, too, rowed in good style but used the slide too early in the stroke, while their grip of the water was not quite so good as that of their opponents. The Norwegians went right away from their rivals and were the only ones to finish, Austria giving up the fight at the bridge.

Heat 3
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Christiania (NOR)	Henry Larsen	Mathias Torstensen	Theodor Klem	Håkon Tønsager	Ejnar Tønsager	7:15.0	QQ
2	Leibnitz (AUT)	Richard Mayer	Hugo Cužna	Georg Kröder	Fritz Krombholz	Emil Jand	DNF

Heat 4: 7.20 p.m. The Norwegians undergraduates rowed over the course in good style.

Heat 4
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Studenternes (NOR)	Øyvin Davidsen	Leif Rode	Theodor Schjøth	Olaf Dahll	Einar Eriksen	7:27.4	QQ
–	Donau (AUT)						DNS

Heat 5: 7.40 p.m. Both boats started well, and kept together at an even speed until the 1,000 metres mark was reached. At this point the Danes delayed their response to the spurt made by the Belgians, and all the endeavours made during the remainder of the race to make up the two clear lengths lost at this point were in vain, the Belgians winning pretty easily.

Heat 5
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Royal Club Nautique de Gand (BEL)	Guillaume Visser	Georges Van Den Bossche	Edmond Van Waes	Georges Willems	Léonard Nuytens	7:15.0	QQ
2	Købnhavn (DEN)	Hans Jørgensen	Knud Gøtke	Johan Praem	Theodor Eyrich	Silva Smedberg

Heat 6: 8 p.m. Both crews began with a quick stroke and lay side by side for some distance, but after the 1,000 metres mark, the Germans, without any exertion, led by about half a length, the same distance separating the boats when the boathouse was passed. In the finish, the Germans put themselves two lengths in front of their rivals, and won with the greatest ease.

Heat 6
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Ludwigshafen (GER)	Albert Arnheiter	Hermann Wilker	Rudolf Fickeisen	Otto Fickeisen	Otto Maier[3]	7:06.6	QQ
2	Vaxholm (SWE)	John Lager	Axel Eriksson	Ernst Wetterstrand	Gunnar Lager	Karl Sundholm

Heat 7: 8.20 p.m. The British boat rowed over the course in a resolute but far from beautiful style.

Heat 7
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Thames R. C. (GBR)	Julius Beresford	Karl Vernon	Charles Rought	Bruce Logan	Geoffrey Carr	7:27.0	QQ
–	Mainz (GER)						DNS

Quarterfinals

All quarterfinals were held on Thursday, 18 July.

Quarterfinal 1: 12.20 p.m. Half the course was covered with the boats side by side, the Finnish crew rowing 40 to the 32–34 of the Danes. The rapid stroke of the Finns was gained, however, at the expense of length, while the Danes rowed in beautiful style with a pronounced swing of the body and long, powerful strokes. At the bath-house the Danes, who had spurted after the half-distance, had a lead of about one and a half length, which was increased at the finish to nearly three lengths.

Quarterfinal 1
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Polyteknisk (DEN)	Erik Bisgaard	Rasmus Frandsen	Mikael Simonsen	Poul Thymann	Ejgil Clemmensen	7:09.0	QS
2	Helsinsfors R. K. (FIN)	Johan Nyholm	Oskar Forsman	Karl Lönnberg	Emil Nylund	Valdemar Henriksson	7:12.5

Quarterfinal 2: 12.40 p.m. After rowing 600 metres, the British crew had a lead of about halt a length which, during the remainder of the race, was gradfully increased to some two and a half lengths.

Quarterfinal 2
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Thames R. C. (GBR)	Julius Beresford	Karl Vernon	Charles Rought	Bruce Logan	Geoffrey Carr	7:14.5	QS
2	Studenternes (NOR)	Øyvin Davidsen	Leif Rode	Theodor Schjøth	Olaf Dahll	Einar Eriksen

Quarterfinal 3: 1 p.m. This was one of the most exciting heats in this round. Both crews rowed well from the start at 40 and 44 respectively, this speed afterwards falling to 32–36. The boats moved along rapidly side by side, but, in spite of the calls made by the strokes, neither crew showed any unevenness. Belgium led by about half a length at the boathouse, but the Norwegians had a lot in reserve and, after a brilliant finish, where the four rowed like one man, the last-named crew passed the post a clear length in front.

Quarterfinal 3
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Christiania (NOR)	Henry Larsen	Mathias Torstensen	Theodor Klem	Håkon Tønsager	Ejnar Tønsager	7:05.5	QS
2	Royal Club Nautique de Gand (BEL)	Guillaume Visser	Georges Van Den Bossche	Edmond Van Waes	Georges Willems	Léonard Nuytens

Quarterfinal 4: 1.20 p.m. The Germans rowed alone over the course.

Quarterfinal 4
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Ludwigshafen (GER)	Albert Arnheiter	Hermann Wilker	Rudolf Fickeisen	Otto Fickeisen	Karl Leister[3]	7:14.4	QS

Semifinals

Both semifinals were held on Friday, 19 July.

Semifinal 1: 1.30 p.m. The Danes rowed very energetically from the start and led by about half a length at the 500 metres mark. Here, however, the Germans came on with a short, powerful spurt, which gave them a lead that was afterwards retained, apparently without any great effort, and was gradually increased to about two and a half lengths, the distance separating the boats at the finish. The Germans crew possessed great physical power and was of a comparatively mature average age, features also characteristic of the English four representing the Thames R. C.. Ludwigshafen rowed, it is true, a pretty short stroke forwards, but, backwards, it was of a good length, with a quiet, finished recovery, and a powerful pull through the water. No. 3, with his billowing Germanic beard, reminded one of a Viking, and his appearance contrasted strangely with that of the other oarsmen, most of whom were clean shaven or had only small moustaches.

Semifinal 1
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Ludwigshafen (GER)	Albert Arnheiter	Hermann Wilker	Rudolf Fickeisen	Otto Fickeisen	Karl Leister[3]	7:41.0	QF
	Polyteknisk (DEN)	Erik Bisgaard	Rasmus Frandsen	Mikael Simonsen	Poul Thymann	Ejgil Clemmensen

Semifinal 2: 2 p.m. With an energetic spurt, Thames R. C. took the lead from the very start, and 500 metres later the Norwegian boat was nearly a length behind. Thames R. C. kept its same rapid stroke even when the 1,000 metres mark was passed, rowing in good style from 34–36 to the Norwegians' 32–34. The last-named crew, however, pulled itself together for a spurt when close to the bath-house, so that at the bridge there was only a length between the boats. In the finish, the Norwegians showed such energy, and rowed in such fine style, that their effort will be remembered as one of the most noteworthy episodes of the regatta. Inch by inch they crept up the leaders, so that, in spite of the energetic, really desperate strokes of the Thames R. C. crew, the two boats passed the post almost simultaneously. The Norwegians, however, were about three metres behind their opponents.

Semifinal 2
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time	Qual.
1	Thames R. C. (GBR)	Julius Beresford	Karl Vernon	Charles Rought	Bruce Logan	Geoffrey Carr	7:04.8	QF
2	Christiania (NOR)	Henry Larsen	Mathias Torstensen	Theodor Klem	Håkon Tønsager	Ejnar Tønsager	7:05.0

Final

The final was held on Friday, 19 July.

Final: 5.30 p.m After a very energetic race up to the 500 metres mark, where the two boats still lay side by side, the Germans began to take the lead and, at the kilometre mark, Ludwigshafen were about one length ahead. Thames R. C. fought pluckily, however, and stroke Bruce Logan deserves every credit for the courageous way in which he challenged the leader. But at the Englishmen's last spurt between the bath-nouse and the bridge, it was clear that the crew was done for, while the Germans, on the other hand, rowed with still greater energy than before. Ludwigshafen won brilliantly by a good two lengths, and passed the post in excellent condition.

The German Ludwigshafen beating the British Thames R. C. (under the bridge) in the final

Final
Place	Boat	Bow	Rower No.2	Rower No.3	Stroke	Cox	Time
	Ludwigshafen (GER)	Albert Arnheiter	Hermann Wilker	Rudolf Fickeisen	Otto Fickeisen	Karl Leister[3]	6:59.4
	Thames R. C. (GBR)	Julius Beresford	Karl Vernon	Charles Rought	Bruce Logan	Geoffrey Carr

References

1. "Rowing at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours, Outriggers". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
2. The official report say, that the third rower was replaced by M. Simonsen in the quarterfinal, but it is unknown, which rower took part in the first heat.
3. The German team changed its cox after the first round. It is not known if Otto Maier participated in the first round and Karl Leister did the rest of the tournament or Leister participated in the first round and Maier did the rest. However, the IOC medal database credits the gold medal only to Leister.

Sources

• Bergvall, Erik (ed.) (1913). Adams-Ray, Edward (trans.). (ed.). The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
• Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Retrieved 20 January 2007.