Robbie Manson: The World's Fastest Sculler

Robbie Manson of New Zealand holds the men’s single sculls World Best Time. This is a short profile of what he achieved, what his career shows about the single scull and how to read a time like his against your own rowing.

The record

At World Rowing Cup II in Poznań, Poland, in June 2017, Manson rowed the 2,000 metres in 6:30.74, a new World Best Time. The mark was still standing after the 2026 World Championships.

Conditions matter in rowing, so the time reflects a fast course as well as a fast rower. See Olympic rowing record times for why.

As a pace, 6:30.74 works out at about 1:37.7 per 500 metres. For a club rower, a 2,000 metre erg test of 7:30 means 1:52.5 per 500 metres. That is a useful reminder that boat times and erg times are different measures. On the water, wind, stream and hull speed all play a part.

Career

Manson made his name in the double. He took bronze with Chris Harris at the 2015 World Championships, his first World Championship medal, and raced the double at the Rio Olympics in 2016, his second Games. He moved to the single for 2017.

He then stepped away from the sport, and World Rowing listed him among the retired scullers ahead of the delayed Tokyo Games.

He made his comeback to international racing at World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne in 2023, in the men’s double with Ben Mason. At Paris 2024 he finished sixth in the A final of the men’s double sculls with Jordan Parry, in 6:21.44.

New Zealand and sculling

New Zealand has a strong record in sculling. Mahe Drysdale won Olympic gold in the single sculls, Emma Twigg did the same in the women’s event at Tokyo 2020, and Hamish Bond and Eric Murray dominated the men’s pair for years.

The country has a deep rowing culture in schools and clubs, and its lakes host regattas and training. The weather, the available water and a strong club structure all help to produce good scullers. For how the Olympics compare with the Commonwealth Games for rowers, read our Commonwealth Games v Olympics comparison.

Why the single is hard

The single scull has no crew to hide behind. You have to steer, balance and power the boat alone. It rewards technique and a huge aerobic engine. See single scull technique and sculling for beginners.

A beginner in a single scull usually has the most difficulty with balance. The boat is narrow and the oars are the stabilisers. Keeping the handles level, the hands relaxed and the blades off the water on the recovery makes the biggest difference. Learning in a wider training single, or in a double with a partner, is a gentler route.

What elite scullers train for

An elite single sculler must produce a very high, sustained power output for about six and a half minutes. Their training is mostly long and steady, with some race-pace work. Strength training supports the drive and protects the back. Technique work is constant, because small inefficiencies add up over 2,000 metres. For ideas to borrow, see how to train like an Olympic rower.

What you can learn from it

• Balance and rhythm matter more than brute force.
• A long break does not have to end a career.
• Consistent training over years is what brings you to the top.
• Compare like with like. A world best time tells you about the fastest conditions, not about your own pace.

For the Olympic picture, see the Olympic rowing hub.