Rowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's eight

These are the results of the Men's eight competition, one of six events for male competitors in Rowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

The second heat of the Men's Eight was a particularly intense match as the United States pulled ahead of Canada (undefeated since 2001) in the last 500 m. The Canadian Eight was a favourite for the gold, whereas the American Eight had never before been tried internationally. Both boats beat the World's best time for the Men's Eight, and the United States advances directly to the finals while Canada goes to the Repechage.

The United States established an early lead. By the 1000 meter mark (halfway), they had a three-second advantage (one length) over Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands who were all battling for second place. In the final 1000 meters, the Netherlands made a run at the United States, finishing 1.3 seconds short. Australia maintained its position three seconds behind the United States while Germany and Canada fell off the pace and France trailed in sixth place. The fifth-place finish was a major disappointment for Canada, the two-time defending World Champions.

...
Wikipedia