The rowing eight – the history of a myth

The eight in rowing is considered a legend. It fascinates athletes, the media and spectators. Anyone who sits in the eight or has ever seen it feels the fascination: it’s all about team spirit, harmony, the right technique, discipline and strength.

8+ is also the name of the boat: Eight athletes and one coxswain. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the eight will be almost as important as the hundred-meter race. After all, rowing – and the eight in particular – has a long tradition and history that is not just about sport: Political influence, social relationships and the long discrimination of women play a major role in the history of rowing. Ahead of the Olympic Games, this documentary looks at the history and myth of the “eight”. Its origins in Great Britain, its development in Europe and the struggle of women for their place in rowing.

The film takes a look behind the scenes of the most traditional rowing regattas in Great Britain: The Oxford Cambridge Race and the Royal Henley Regatta. Using archive footage, rowing historians explain how the rowing euphoria spilled over from England to Germany and France. Contemporary witnesses talk about the beginnings of women’s rowing (style rowing) and the ban on women taking part in competitions at the time. The documentary also tells the story of the Deutschlandachter – from its creation to the present day. It accompanies the German eight during its tough preparations for the Olympic competitions in Paris.