Henley Royal Regatta

The Henley Royal Regatta is a traditional rowing event, which takes place every year in England on the River Thames at Henley -on-Thames. It will be held in each of the first week of July, from Wednesday to Sunday. The length of the rowing race is one mile and 550 yards ( 2.112 km ). Because of the small width of the regatta course, only two boats can compete against each other. The most prestigious race is the Grand Challenge Cup for eight of the men.

Since the Royal Regatta Henley is older than all national or international rowing federations, it has its own regulations, but which of the Amateur Rowing Association ( Rowing Federation of England and Wales) and FISA ( International Federation ) is recognized. The regatta is organized by the so-called stewards, who are former rowers in most cases. The statutes of the regatta were Pierre de Coubertin as the basis for the organization of the International Olympic Committee.

History

The race was first held on 14 June in 1839 and proved so successful that it was the following year extended from one to two days. With the growing importance of the regatta and the duration of the event was getting longer; End of the 19th century, there were three days from 1906 for four days and in 1986 five days. The addition of " Royal" was awarded the race in 1851, when Prince Albert of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha was the first patron of the English royal house. Among the most famous winners is the later polar explorer Apsley Cherry - Garrard, who in a team of Christ Church College won the prestigious Grand Challenge Cup 1908.

Until 1938, only "gentlemen " to the race were admitted who met the very specific criteria as an amateur rower. They were explicitly written down in 1879. Excluded was anyone who has ever competed previously in a ( rowing ) competition for money, compensation, occupational rowers or for a cash prize, or who has ever denied his livelihood with the exercise, training or assistance of physical or artisanal activities, or has ever worked for money or reward to or on a ship or have ever had a craft or profession, or physical - from 1886 - a " menial task " has exercised. This led to some startling decisions. Thus favorites and future Olympic champions John B. Kelly sr. ( a building contractor, but a bricklayer ) in 1920 and Henry Pearce ( a skilled carpenter ) 1928, the participation denied. Both wanted the Henley Royal Regatta use as a preparation and a prelude to the Olympic Games in Antwerp and Paris, where they each defeated the British winner of the Henley Royal Regatta. In addition, Kelly was generally excluded as a member of the Vesper Boat Club, because the club team in 1905, the travel money for the regatta participation after a public appeal for donations has had to give. This strict certification requirement was Pierre de Coubertin as a template for the first definition of the Olympic amateur status, which was later changed to the effect that no participant contributions must accept the same kind for the exercise of his sport or any related activity. At a particular scandal led to the exclusion of the Australian rowing eight, who was on the trip to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The team consisted of police officers who were classified as " physically working ". Political influence then led from 1938 to eligibility for craftsmen and physically or down employees. The other rules remained in force until 1998.

Except for one experiment in the early 1980s to 1993 only men could participate ( exceptions had been granted only sporadically in control women). To the women - Einern later joined by four and eight. Due to the sharp rise in popularity of rowing in women in the UK in 1988 for the first time carried out the Henley Women's Regatta. Through the subsequent involvement of top athletes in the Henley Royal Regatta is the participation previously held event decreased in these two weeks.

During the Summer Olympics in 1908 and the Summer Olympics in 1948, when London hosted the Olympic rowing races were held on the regatta course of Henley. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, but this was no longer the case; as the venue Dorney Lake was determined at Eton.

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