The competition consisted of two main rounds (heats and finals) as well as a repechage. The 9 boats were divided into two heats for the first round, with 5 boats in one heat and 4 boats in the other. The winner of each heat advanced directly to the "A" final (1st through 6th place). The remaining 7 boats were placed in the repechage. Two heats were held in the repechage, with 4 boats in one heat and 3 boats in the other. The top two boats in each heat of the repechage went to the "A" final as well. The remaining 3 boats (3rd and 4th placers in the repechage heats) competed in the "B" final for 7th through 9th place.[2]
All races were over a 1000 metre course. The 1976 event (along with the 1980 and 1984 competitions) featured a coxswain in each boat; later editions dropped the coxswain.
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