 The A, B, and C semifinals were for those rowers who still had a chance at medalling, and the top two in each of those semifinals moved on to the A final (top 6 places), the next two to the B final (places 7-12), and the bottom two in each to the C final (13-18).The D and E semifinals were consolation semis and the rowers in them had already been eliminated from medal contention; the top three in each moved to the D final (places 19-24) and the rest moved to E final (places 25-29).Three of the four favored scullers, Václav Chalupa, Jüri Jaanson and Olaf Tufte, all qualify relatively easily for the finals from Semis A, B and C, respectively.