What makes them so fast?
Take a look at the Women's 1x Final at the Rio Olympics. The many camera angles make this coverage particularly revealing as to good technique. All of the finalists are doing a good job of connecting oar blades with the water before driving with the legs. Your intuition suggests this is wasted arc but the results cannot be denied. The Australian seems to have the advantage of physique and VO2 to put open water between her and the very capable competition, all of whom are all demonstrating world class technique in this final. Personally, I find women's technique more consistent than the men, who have become adept at powering through their inconsistencies with massive output.
