Gold Four
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{MedalTableTop
| name = The Gold Four
| image = DanishOlympicRowingMedails2012.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| alt = Three men with their Olympic medals
| caption = Rasmussen (left), Ebbesen, and Quist with medals from the 2012 London Olympics
}}
{{MedalCountry|{{DEN}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's rowing}}
{{Medal|Competition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalGold|1996 Atlanta|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{MedalBronze|2000 Athens|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{MedalGold|2004 Sydney|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{MedalGold|2008 Beijing|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{MedalBronze|2012 London|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Silver|2016 Rio de Janeiro|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Comp|World Championships}}
{{Medal|Gold|1994 Indianapolis|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Silver|1995 Tampere|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Gold|1997 Aiguebelette|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Gold|1998 Cologne|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Gold|1999 St. Catharines|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Silver|2001 Lucerne|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Gold|2002 Seville|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Gold|2003 Milan|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Gold|2013 Chungju|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Gold|2014 Amsterdam|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{Medal|Silver|2015 Aiguebelette|Lightweight coxless four}}
{{MedalBottom}}
The Gold Four (Danish: Guldfireren) is the nickname for a Danish men's lightweight coxless four crew who between 1994 and 2016 has won three Olympic gold, one silver and two bronze, and eight gold and three silver medals at the world championships, making them one of the most successful crews in rowing history.{{cite web | first=Svend Bertil | last=Frandsen |title= Danish national icon - the lightweight men's four |url= http://www.worldrowing.com/news/danish-national-icon-the-lightweight-men-four |publisher=International Rowing Federation |accessdate=11 November 2017 | date=20 June 2014}} There were 17 team members in total. The boat class was disestablished after the 2017 World Rowing Championships to achieve gender equality in rowing, with the Danish team last competing at the 2016 Olympics.
History
Eskild Ebbesen was the sole constant crew member through the various combinations of crews from the conception of The Gold Four in 1993 to his retirement at the 2012 Olympics (apart from 2009–10 when he had two years off rowing). Other members of medal winning crews include Thomas Poulsen (1993–1999), Victor Feddersen (1993–2000), Niels Henriksen (1993–1996), Thomas Ebert (1996–2008), Søren Madsen (2000–2002), Thor Kristensen (2000–2005), and Mads Andersen (2004–2008). There were 17 team members in total.
Ebbesen's retirement meant the end of a clear lineage through the crews, however his crew mates from the 2012 Olympics have continued the heritage of the famous crew. Ebbesen won the Thomas Keller Medal, the highest honour in rowing, in 2013 after his retirement from the sport at the age of 40.{{cite web |title= Most successful Danish sportsman awarded Thomas Keller Medal |url= http://www.worldrowing.com/news/most-successful-danish-sportsman-awarded-thomas-keller-medal- | date=12 July 2013 |publisher=International Rowing Federation |accessdate=11 November 2017}}
The 2016 Olympics crew consisted of Kasper Winther Jørgensen (2008–2016), Jacob Barsøe (2011–2016) and 2008 Olympics gold winner Morten Jørgensen (2007–2016), who were all part of the 2012 Olympics bronze winners, as well as newcomer Jacob Larsen (2012–2016). This combination has already won two world championships since 2012. They reached the final of the 2016 Summer Olympics just behind Switzerland who eventually also finished ahead of the Danish crew in the final of the Men's lightweight coxless four.
Ebbesen is quoted as saying about the Gold Four's approach to rowing:
Our strategy, for every race, was always to be first, to be number one from the beginning of the race. A fast start was important. It became natural for us to do a high stroke rate. It then escalated. I don't think we have many strokes under 40.
To achieve gender equality in rowing, FISA suggested early in 2017 to drop the lightweight men's four from the Olympic programme, and the recommendation was adopted by the executive board of the International Olympic Committee in June 2017.{{cite news|title=Women's four added to Olympic Games rowing programme, men's lightweight four scrapped |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/93627064/Womens-four-added-to-Olympic-Games-rowing-programme-mens-lightweight-four-scrapped |accessdate=10 November 2017 |work=Stuff.co.nz |date=13 June 2017}} After 23 entries to the 2015 World Rowing Championships, this plummeted to just six at the 2017 World Rowing Championships after the demotion of the event, with no Danish crew nominated.{{cite web |last1=Dresser |first1=Erik |title=Sarasota 2017 Preview - The Fours |url=http://www.row2k.com/worlds/features.cfm?ID=5943|publisher=row2k.com |accessdate=11 November 2017 |date=20 September 2017}} Shortly after the 2017 championships, the FISA council voted to remove the lightweight men's four from the world championships with immediate effect.{{cite news |last1=Rowbottom |first1=Mike |title=Mike Rowbottom: The sinking of the men’s lightweight four - don’t blame the alligators |url= https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1056098/mike-rowbottom-the-sinking-of-the-mens-lightweight-four-dont-blame-the-alligators |accessdate=11 November 2017 |work=Insidethegames |date=5 October 2017}}
Crew members and results
There were a total of 17 crew members. The lowest placing of the Gold Four was in 2009, when the team reached ninth place. After the 2004 Summer Olympics, the team took a two-year break and did not start at the World Championships.
Table legend: W=World Championship regatta; O=Olympic regatta; DNS=did not start
References
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{{Gold Four}}
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Category:Olympic gold medalists for Denmark
Category:Olympic medalists in rowing
Category:Olympic rowers for Denmark
Category:Nicknamed groups of sportspeople