Rowers to Watch at the 2024 Paris Olympics

by Cameron Buchan. Photo © Ben Tufnell.

Cameron Buchan is a six-foot nine-inch Scottish rower whose athletic career started in basketball but transitioned to rowing while attending a US prep school. He went on to row at Northeastern University and joined the British national squad, competing in the 2017 World Rowing Championships. Cam started a successful YouTube channel with over 30,000 subscribers, featuring rowing tips, adventures, and his dog Yam, where he welcomes viewers by saying, “I try to go as fast as I can in a rowing boat and take you along with me on the journey!” Here he offers his picks on crews to watch for at the 2024 Paris Olympics.   

As the 2024 Olympics in Paris approaches, the world’s top rowers are gearing up to showcase their strength, endurance, and precision on the global stage. This year’s competition promises thrilling races, fierce rivalries, and breakout performances, with veteran champions clashing with emerging talents. If we look back at the last two Olympic Games, we can see results we would never have predicted. I am going to highlight the athletes who are primed to do their best and aiming to capture the spotlight in Paris, but that does not mean there isn’t someone else in the background ready to pounce on their parade. 

M1x 

We cannot have a list of who to watch without mentioning the battle of the giants that has been happening over the last couple of seasons. Especially given the result of the second World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland! Germany’s Olli Zeidler and Netherland’s Simon van Dorp will be the pair to watch in the single. 

W2x 

The Australian and American women's doubles were separated by just under 0.8 seconds in the finals in the second World Cup. Combine this with fast British and Czech crews coming in from the final qualification regatta, and I think the A final is going to be savage just to even be in the top 3. 

M2- 

The pair will be an interesting one to watch with the British pair showing good form. Will they be able to continue this out past the World Cups, through the British camps and into the Games? Or will the Spanish or Swiss find some more speed to overcome probably one of the fastest erg averages on the planet?  

M8+ 

I think the men's eight is looking to provide some nail-biting action throughout the regatta. Great Britain has been dominant throughout this entire Olympiad, and they will be looking to continue that trend. What might shake that confidence, though, are the Americans looking to gain their first medal in the eight since 2008 and first gold medal since 2004. They were down by more than two seconds at the 1k marker in the second World Cup and reeled in the GB eight to just 0.2 seconds. Could a few tweaks make big speed changes in the US eight to overcome that very small margin? I think that matchup will be great to see flying down the course. 

 As the Games draw near, the anticipation for the rowing events continues to build. While I’ve highlighted some of the crews, the beauty of the Games lies in its unpredictability—there’s always the chance for unexpected triumphs and underdog victories. As the world tunes in to watch these rowers strive for excellence, Paris is sure to deliver unforgettable moments that will go down in rowing history.