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Team Navy Road to the Warrior Games Featured Sport: Indoor Rowing

WASHINGTON -- In this series, we will explore each of the twelve sports that will be featured during the Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games: archery, cycling, field, golf, indoor rowing, powerlifting, shooting (precision air sports), sitting volleyball, swimming, track, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.

The indoor rowing competition is composed of two major events: the 1-minute spring and the 4-minute race. Athletes may compete in one or both competitions, based upon their gender and classification category.

Did you know? Rowing machines use up to 86% of your muscles, according to the National Institute of Health. This, in turn, helps increase endurance, strengthens, and tones muscles. Rowing also provides benefits to your heart and lungs. Although, it’s typically considered low-impact for the average user, rowing burns serious calories without putting the added stress on your joints. It allows you to control the movement and pace.

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From an overview of indoor rowing’s origins to competition style, here is a list of five facts to know.
 

  1. Sport Origin: The 1980s saw the development of lighter, slightly more rower-friendly machines. The Dreissigacker brothers, developed an ergometer using bicycle parts. This innovation helped to make the rowing machine light and affordable. It also allowed rowers to compete their performances against one another. This caused indoor rowing to grow rapidly in training, and made indoor competitions possible.
     
  2. Major Competitive Events: In February 2018, thousand competed in the first Rowing Indoor World Championships in Alexandria, Virginia. The inaugural World Rowing Indoor Championships featured over 2,500 participants from 23 countries. Indoor Rowing is not currently a sport in the Olympics or Paralympics.
     
  3. Warrior Games Competition Style: During the Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games, the indoor rowing competition is comprised of two major events: the 1-minute sprint and the 4-minute race. Athletes may compete in one or both competitions.
     
  4. Indoor Rowing Classification: Sport classification is a system that provides a level playing field for athletes competing in adaptive sports. The DoD Warrior Games will offer athletes the ability to compete individually in the indoor rowing competition. Both the 1-minute sprint and 4-minute race will have male and female divisions, in which athletes can compete across eight classification categories.
     
  5. What’s Erging and an Ergometer? Indoor rowing is also known as “erging,” because of the equipment used for this type of sport – the ergometer. Ergometers have been used in rowing training since he 1950s. The earliest examples were huge metal contraptions with a solid iron flywheel.

 

Follow along on Team Navy's Road to the Warrior Games on the official Team Navy webpageFacebook, and Instagram, and join us in cheering for the team at the DoD Warrior Games!

 

Article originally published on June 21, 2021 | Story by Megan Trexler | Commander, Navy Installations Command

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