Before you start, it’s worth getting to grips with a little background about the European and World Rowing Championships and the Olympic Games, and the key changes to them involving women’s rowing.

1951 (Macon), 1952 (Amsterdam) and 1953 (Copenhagen): The “trial” regattas

European Rowing Championships

1954 (Amsterdam): The first Women’s European Rowing Championships

1955 (Bucharest) and 1956 (Bled): No money, no crews

1957 (Duisburg): Fantastic facilities but only 11 races

1958 (Poznan) and 1959 (Macon): Avoiding a ‘tiring journey’

1960 (Willesden): International women’s rowing comes to Britain

1961 (Prague): All aboard the bus!

1962 (East Berlin): Penny’s silver medal

1963 (Moscow): To Russia with bug

1964 (Amsterdam): New blood (well, some), new funding, ‘new’ land training

1965 (Duisburg): Even more amateur than usual?

1966 (Amsterdam): Di Ellis strokes GB eight

1967 (Vichy) and 1968 (East Berlin): No teams. That is all. 

1969 (Klagenfurt): One sculler’s creditable performance

1970 (Lake Tata, Hungary): Nearly making two finals

1971 (Copenhagen): High hopes blown away

1972 (Brandenburg): GB women’s last European Championships

1973 (Moscow): The European Champs era ends with no GB team again

World Rowing Championships and Olympic Games

1974 (Lucerne): The first World Championships incorporating women’s events

1975 (Nottingham): A step up but only a small one

1976 Olympic Games (Montreal): When women first rowed at the Olympics

1977 (Amsterdam): GB women reach their first World Championships final

1978 (Lake Karapiro, New Zealand): Good quality but little quantity

1979 (Bled): Dan Topolski arrives and the team gets bigger again

1980 Olympic Games (Moscow): GB women reach their first Olympic finals

1981 (Munich): Beryl wins the first GB women’s World Championships medal

1982 (Lucerne): Things unravel but GB women get their first wins at Henley

1983 (Duisburg): A low point but the four sets a new British record

1984 Olympic Games (Los Angeles): Closest to the medals yet

1984 Lightweight Championships (Montreal): Test events for women

1985 (Hazewinkel): Gold at last!

1986 (Nottingham): Two medals for the first time

1987 (Copenhagen): Everything ruined by unfair conditions

1988 Olympic Games (Seoul) and Worlds (Milan): Making the first Olympic final when ‘everyone was there’ and a lightweight bronze

1989 (Bled): Silver for the lightweight four but other crews disappointed

1990 (Tasmania): Results dip down under

1991 (Vienna): GB’s first World Championship openweight sweep medal

1992 Olympic Games (Barcelona) and World Championships (Montreal): Two Olympic finals and two lightweight silvers – but also huge disappointments

1993 (Roudnice): First sweep World Champions!

1994 (Indianapolis): The smallest women’s openweight team ever

1995 (Tampere): More lightweight silvers and ‘game-changing’ sponsorship

1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta) and World Championships (Strathclyde): Olympic highs and lows while the lightweights win two more silver medals

1997 (Aiguebelette): First openweight World Champions and Lottery funding arrives

1998 (Cologne): First World Champions in an Olympic boat class

1999 (St Catherines): Things unravel for the Olympic crews

2000 Olympic Games (Sydney) and World Championships (Zagreb): The long-awaited first Olympic medal

2001 (Lucerne): A new GB lightweight pair retains the title

2002 (Seville): A third successive GB lightweight pair gold but openweight gloom

2003 (Milan): Openweight pair wins gold despite Chief Coach doubts

2004 Olympic Games (Athens) and World Championships (Banyoles): Three Olympic medals for the first time plus lightweight single silver

2005 onwards: Coming soon!