2020 Olympic Champion — Men's Quadruple Sculls
2020 Olympic Champion — Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games — Sea Forest Waterway, Tokyo, Japan
Dutch Crew: Dirk Uittenbogaard, Abe Wiersma, Tone Wieten, and Koen Metsemakers
Historic Olympic Gold & World Best Time
On July 28, 2021, the Dutch Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x) delivered one of the most remarkable performances in Olympic rowing history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, capturing the Olympic gold medal and setting a new World Best Time and Olympic Record of 5:32.03.
This triumph represented the first Olympic gold medal for TeamNL at the Tokyo Games and the first Dutch men’s Olympic rowing title since the legendary Holland Acht in 1996.
- Winning Time: 5:32.03 (World Best Time & Olympic Record)
- The Podium:
- Netherlands (Dirk Uittenbogaard, Abe Wiersma, Tone Wieten, Koen Metsemakers) — 5:32.03 (Gold)
- Great Britain (Harry Leask, Angus Groom, Tom Barras, Jack Beaumont) — 5:33.75 (Silver)
- Australia (Jack Cleary, Caleb Antill, Cameron Girdlestone, Luke Letcher) — 5:33.97 (Bronze)
The Race: Resilience Under Extreme Pressure
Starting from lane 4 under challenging cross-headwind conditions, the Dutch crew faced early adversity when bow seat Dirk Uittenbogaard caught a slight crab in the opening hundred meters. Showing extraordinary poise and composure, the four rowers immediately reset their rhythm, powered through the field, and took decisive control of the race by the 1,000-meter mark.
Holding off fierce charges from Great Britain and Australia, the crew unleashed a devastating finish in the final 500 meters to stop the clock at 5:32.03—shattering the previous world best time and cementing their legacy as one of the fastest quadruple sculls crews in rowing history.
“Overcoming adversity, staying unified under the greatest pressure on earth, and executing the fastest race in history when it mattered most. An unforgettable golden chapter.”