endurance and muscular strength. High-performance rowers tend to be tall and muscular: although extra weight does increase the drag on the boat, the larger athletes' increased power tends to compensate. The increased power is achieved through the increased leverage on the oar provided by the longer limbs of the athlete. In multi-person boats (2,4, or 8), the lightest person typically rows in the bow seat at the front of the boat. Rowing is a low-impact sport with movement only in defined ranges, so that twist and sprain injuries are rare. However, the repetitive rowing action can put strain on knee joints, the spine and the tendons of the forearm, and inflammation of these are the most common rowing injuries. If one rows with poor technique, especially rowing with a curved rather than straight back, other injuries may surface, including back pains and wrist injuries. Blisters occur for almost all rowers, especially in the beginning of one's rowing career, as every stroke puts pressure on the hands, though rowing frequently tends to harden hands and generate protective calluses. Holding the oars too tightly or making adjustments to technique may cause recurring or new blisters, as it is common to feather the blade. Another common injury is getting "track bites", thin cuts on the back of one's calf or thigh caused by contact with the seat tracks at either end of the stroke. See also Glossary of rowing terms Rowing at the Summer Olympics The Championship Course World Sculling Championship (Professional) International Rowing Federation events Rowing World Cup World Rowing Championships World Rowing Junior Championships College/university rowing College rowing (United States) Harvard–Yale Regatta The Boat Race The Great Race (rowing) (New Zealand) University rowing (UK) U.S. intercollegiate rowing champions Varsity (rowing regatta) (Netherlands) References Notes Footnotes Further reading Paintings of Thomas Eakins, a group of rowing scenes, first and most famous is Max Schmitt in a Single Scull (1871) Brown, Daniel James (2013). The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Penguin Books. External links World Rowing – website of the World Rowing Federation River & Rowing Museum – Rowing Museum in Henley on Thames How Rowing Really Works The Physics of Rowing The maximum speed of rowing boats + Boating Summer Olympic sports Articles containing video clips