24 September 2000, Games of the XXVII Olympiad. Georgeta DAMIAN, Viorica SUSANU, Ioana OLTEANU, Veronica COCHELA, Maria Magdalena DUNITRACHE, Elisabeta LIPA, Liliana GAFENCU, Doina IGNAT and Elena GEORGESCU of Romania win gold in the women's rowing eight oars with coxswain event at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. Credit: Getty Images/Jamie Squire

Tactically, it sounds as ludicrous as sprinting the first five kilometres of a marathon. To win a 2000-metre rowing race, the crew must sprint for the first 500 metres.

Such are the demands in the sport of the Athlete of the Century and the Oarsome Foursome.

Rowing is an endurance test that finishes at a speed of up to 10 metres a second. Crews cover the middle 1000 metres at about 40 strokes per minute, but, over the first and last 500 metres, shift up a gear to as many as 47.

The modern master is Steve Redgrave of Great Britain, widely hailed as the greatest rower ever. A six-time World Champion, he won gold medals at the last five Olympic Games and has been loosely crowned Athlete of the Century.

(BOCOG)