The bad news for rowing: this sounded the death knell for lightweight classes at the Olympics.

The bright new debutant discipline will replace the only remaining events in that category, the men’s and women’s lightweight double sculls, which will make a final appearance at Paris 2024.

There will be waves of regret and sorrow throughout the world of lightweight rowing as the Olympic innovation of Atlanta 1996, which had to resist a strong move to capsize it six years later, finally hits the rough water of non-Olympic inclusion, with all the inevitable reductions in terms of appeal and sponsorship that will entail.

This was all effectively determined seven years ago.

After the 2016 World Rowing Championships in Rotterdam, the rule regarding Olympic rowing entries was altered. In the past, Rule 37 meant that FISA, as the international rowing body, was able to decide upon a quota of events and a maximum number of athletes given to them by the IOC.

But the new Rule 37 changed that state of affairs:

"Rule 37 – Olympic Games Boat Classes"

"The events programme for the Olympic Regatta shall be determined by the IOC Executive Board after consultation with the FISA Executive Committee, in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The FISA Congress shall vote to select a recommended Olympic programme for the purpose of the consultation with the IOC prior to the IOC’s decision on the programme".

This meant that the IOC had the final say over events at the Games.

"The IOC have stated on a number of occasions that they are opposed to any weight-restricted events (outside of combat sports and weightlifting)," said rowing blogger Daniel Spring at the time.

"If FISA propose 10 open-weight and four lightweight events and then the IOC reject lightweights we stand to lose four events."

Five years later, World Rowing’s President - and IOC member - Jean-Christoph Rolland, spoke of an altered mindset regarding the question as he voiced his confidence that beach sprint - an Olympic entrée to the world of coastal rowing – would get the nod for Los Angeles 2028.

In his report for World Rowing’s Congress in November 2021 Rolland said he and colleagues had been "encouraged by the very positive feedback" received from IOC sports director Kit McConnell.

Although the idea had proved controversial with many nations, Rolland added in his report for the upcoming Congress: "We have shifted from a 'defensive attitude' during the first phase to address the challenge of our lightweight boat classes, towards an ambitious and proactive approach with the introduction of coastal rowing."

It is fair to say that not everyone in rowing will have embraced the Frenchman’s grateful attitude.

When he stepped down in 2014 after spending a quarter of a century as the President of the sport’s international federation, which changed its name in 2000 from the Fédération internationale des sociétés d'aviron (FISA) to World Rowing, Denis Oswald was asked what his proudest achievement had been in that time.

Oswald replied: "The development and increase in the number of National Federations in rowing and the practice of rowing in different parts of the world. When I started there were 67 National Federations, now there are 142. For me this was my goal from the beginning - the universality of the sport.

"One of the means to achieve this was adding lightweight rowing to the programme of the Olympic Games. This was one of the most difficult tasks that I had. When I visited Asia, especially south-east Asia and Latin America, and asked them why they did not support rowing, they said 'we have no chance with our smaller, lighter people, so we don't treat rowing as an Olympic sport'.

"I saw lightweight rowing as a way to get more countries involved. But among the IOC a lot of people were against it because they were not prepared to make an exception for rowing in weight categories.

"There was also opposition within FISA because if lightweight rowing was added to the Olympic programme it would mean we would have to eliminate heavyweight events. At the 1993 Congress I had to convince National Federations. I needed a two-thirds majority. I fought hard for that.

"For example, I studied the average weight of the world population. Lightweights equalled 70 per cent of the world. I was able to convince National Federations that our sport could not ignore so many people. I needed 100 votes and I just got it.

"I was proud recently in London at the Olympics when a British coach stopped me and said, 'When you presented your idea about lightweights, I spoke against it. Even after so many years, I'd like to say that I was wrong, you were right. You had a vision and we didn't realise it was for the good of rowing worldwide.'"

Once the IOC appeared to have marked the international Federation’s card on lightweight rowing, Britain’s Mark Hunter - Olympic gold and silver medallist with Zac Purchase in the lightweight double scull at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 respectively - was articulate in his arguments against the shift.

"I think we are just being strangled by the IOC to do what they want," he told insidethegames. "We are on our knees begging for them to look after our sport. We are losing control of our sport. They are basically saying that we are not responsible for it any more.”

Since its introduction at Atlanta 1996, along with the two other lightweight Olympic disciplines of the men’s and women’s double sculls, the lightweight men’s four rowing event produced four different winners - Denmark, France, South Africa and Switzerland - and a succession of spine-tingling races.

First they came for the lightweight men’s fours… by the time the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo came to pass, the lightweight section involved just the men’s and women’s double sculls, won respectively by Ireland’s Fintan McCarthy and Paul Donovan, and Italy’s Valentina Rodini and Federica Cesarini.

Soon the lightweights light will be snuffed out entirely at Olympic level.

Addressing the imminent disappearance from the Olympic Programme of the LM4- event, Hunter added: "If you take the lightweight men’s four out of the Olympic cycle, it wouldn’t disappear, but the standard would fall away. Countries would stop investing in it - what would be the point if it wasn’t in the Olympics? What would be the point in getting people to take the event up?

"It would drop away, just like the coxed pair did after it was dropped from the Olympics after 1992…

"Not everyone goes to the Olympics to win a gold medal. Lightweight rowing has meant the participation of people who aren’t giants, who can go to the Olympic Games and represent their country. This is why lightweight events are special. There are 20 different countries from different regions that take part.”

Not any more. Better start sprinting.