Only first place in both crews’ heats will secure a direct place in the A Final on Saturday 3 August at the Vaires-sur-Marnes Nautical Stadium, east of Paris.

The rest will have to race in repechages for the final places in the medal races which will end the Olympic regatta.

With such tight competition in the men’s and women’s fields, every crew will have to make full out efforts. There will be no room for crews to hold back, or assume they will win easily.

Monday’s Men’s and Women’s Eights races are the last heats for the Australian team that has nine boats racing in Paris 2024, but Australia still will have four boats racing on Monday.

On Monday, Rowsellas crews will also race in the repechages of the Men’s Pairs with Simon Keenan and Patrick Holt, and Women’s Quad Sculls with Caitlin Cronin, Laura Gourley, Rowena Meredith and Ria Thompson. Repechages are the last chance to make the A Final.

The next days are crucial for the Rowsellas as the destiny of their Olympics campaign takes shape in the crucial knock out rounds of the regatta that again saw huge crowds on Sunday.

Australia also shone on Sunday, day two of the regatta, with four Rowsellas crews racing.

A feature crew was the Women’s Pairs crew of Annabelle McIntyre and Jess Morrison. They won their heat in commanding fashion to confirm their medal contention.

The 2023 and 2022 World Championships silver medallists stuck to their plan in lane one throughout, despite having to race from behind after the first 500m to shore up their victory.

Also impressive was the Men’s Four of Fergus Hamilton, Alex Hill, Tim Masters and Jack Robertson, second in their heat to the fancied US to make the A Final on Thursday, 1 August.

With the first two finishers in the heats going into the A Final, the Australian crew became the first Rowsellas to claim a spot in a rowing medal race at the 2024 Olympics.

In other races on Sunday, Australian crews saw their hopes of advancing to the next round left hinging on repechages over the next two days after racing their heats.

The men’s pair of Patrick Holt and Simon Keenan placed fourth in their heat on Sunday, when needing a top three to qualify for a place in the semi-finals.

Whereas, the Women’s Four of Olympia Aldersey, Lily Alton, Molly Goodman and Jean Mitchell placed fourth in their heat when they needed a top two place to make the A Final.

Rupert Guinness

Rowsellas Eights to hit top end speeds in fight for medal race berths