Anthropometric characteristics of elite male junior rowers

During the 1997 Federation Internationale des Societes d'Aviron World Junio r Rowing Championships, anthropometric data on 383 male junior rowers were assessed. With 430 participating athletes, the sample represented 89% of th e population. In addition to age, 27 dimensions were measured: body mass, s ix heights or lengths, four breadths, 10 girths, and six skinfolds. The eli te male junior rowers were tall (187.4 (5.8) cm; mean (SD)) and heavy (82.2 (7.4) kg), with larger length, breadth, and girth dimensions than a nation ally representative sample of Belgian boys of the same chronological age. A rowing specific anthropometric profile chart with norms was constructed. T he stature of the junior rowers is similar to that of adult heavyweight eli te rowers, except that the junior rowers are lighter. Compared with non-fin alists, finalists are heavier (but still lighter than the adult heavyweight elite rower) and taller, with greater length, breadth (except for the bicr istal diameter), and girth dimensions.