Their opponents rowed as if they meant to win, and as regards style, muscle and training, were quite superior to the Frenchmen, a fact they displayed still more during the last half of the race.

The Australians rowed the whole time at a great pace, with only a slight swing, while the style employed by the Swedes bore greater resemblance to English methods.

The Hungarians rowed at a slower pace than their opponents during the whole of the race; they had a nice recovery but could get no good grip of the water and used the slide incorrectly, pushing it before the body.

The Germans, on the other hand, rowed in clean English style, even if they had not the same extraordinarily rapid grip of the water and the swift, easy recovery possessed by their models.

The Germans, too, were physically the superior of their opponents, and, before any long time had elapsed, their energetic efforts gave them such a lead that, at the boat-house, more than two lengths separated the boats.

All the efforts of the Hungarians were in vain and the Germans won quite easily.The Norwegian eight, who were considerably heavier and more powerfully built than their English rivals, got away first, and kept the lead for about 150 metres rowing as much as 40 while New College kept to 38 for the first minute.

Both crews rowed excellently, with a long swing and a powerful grip of the water, but the recovery of the Norwegians was not so quiet as that of the Englishmen, neither was the finish all that could be desired.

These two faults, or rather, the fact that the Norwegian crew had not reached the same degree of perfection as the English, probably had been covered, rowing a quiet effective stroke of about 32 per minute.

At the boat-house, Leander spurted and succeeded in creeping half a length in front, but Canada answered with an immensely long, desperate effort and the issue was doubtful until Djurgård Bridge was passed, when Philip Fleming gathered Leander for a final effort which gave the victory to Great Britain by about half a length.

Leander rowed in orthodox English style, with a long swing, quiet, finished recovery, a powerful grip of the water and a stroke that was drawn out to the last inch.

By degrees, however, Robert Bourne pushed his boat half a length in front and had this lead on reaching the inner curve at the bath-house, where he spurted in order to make use of the advantage afforded by the position, and the Swedish stroke answered too late.

The result was, that at Djurgård Bridge Great Britain led by a length and Dahlbäck, when on reaching the inner curve of his side of the course, did begin a spurt, but could not get his men to respond to his efforts.

The Australian eight now began to row somewhat raggedly and showed other signs of fatigue; Leander, on the contrary, beginning another magnificent spurt which lasted until the winning post was passed.

The New College team raced without opponent, but "gave the spectators a good opportunity of seeing the pure English style of rowing, with its firm grip of the water and the quiet, almost stealthy recovery.

Fleming put his men to a severe test from the bath-house to the bridge, and the determination and speed by means of which Leander drew level with their opponents after one minute's rapid spurt, were simply unique.

The German crew was not rowed out, however, and a desperate struggle took place all the way from the bridge to the finish, the result being that Leander won by about half a length ... .|Official Report, pp. 666–67.}}

Then Fleming pressed his men from the bath-house to the bridge, so that Leander led by a clear length at the latter place, all Bourne's efforts being unable to prevent New from falling behind.