19 crews entered in three heats on July 31, but three did not start.
The top three finishers from each of the heats advanced directly to the semifinals.
The remaining seven teams were relegated to the repechage heats.
Taking place on July 31, the top three competitors in each of the two repechages advanced to the semifinals.
The top three finishers in each of the three semifinals (raced on August 2) advanced to the final.