# Rowing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's coxless pair

The women's coxless pairs rowing competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at the Han River Regatta Course in Seoul, Korea. The event was held from 19 to 24 September.

## Background

The Romanian rower Rodica Arba had competed in the event since the 1981 season, and dominated it—with different partners—since the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won gold with Elena Horvat. She gained the 1985 World Rowing Championships title with Horvat, and won the 1986 and 1987 World Rowing Championships with Olga Homeghi. Arba and Homeghi were the only team favoured to have a chance of winning the event at the 1988 Olympics. The East German rowers were regarded as medal contenders, as they had gained medals in the event at the last three World Championships. Canada were the reigning Pan American champions.

### Previous W2- competitions

| Competition | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1980 Summer Olympics | East Germany | Poland | Bulgaria |
| 1981 World Rowing Championships | East Germany | Canada | Romania |
| 1982 World Rowing Championships | East Germany | Poland | Canada |
| 1983 World Rowing Championships | East Germany | Romania | Canada |
| 1984 Summer Olympics | Romania | Canada | West Germany |
| 1985 World Rowing Championships | Romania | United States | East Germany |
| 1986 World Rowing Championships | Romania | Soviet Union | East Germany |
| 1987 World Rowing Championships | Romania | East Germany | Soviet Union |

## Results
### Heats
#### Heat 1

| Rank | Rower | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Katrin Schröder Kerstin Spittler | East Germany | 7:59.10 | FA |
| 2 | Lynley Hannen Nikki Payne | New Zealand | 8:02.39 | R |
| 3 | Mara Keggi Barbara Kirch | United States | 8:16.85 | R |
| 4 | Marina Smorodina Sarmīte Stone | Soviet Union | 8:23.68 | R |
| 5 | Gong Jeong-bae Lee Byeong-in | South Korea | 8:34.90 | R |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Rower | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Rodica Arba Olga Homeghi | Romania | 7:42.53 | FA |
| 2 | Radka Stoyanova Lalka Berberova | Bulgaria | 7:48.68 | R |
| 3 | Kirsten Barnes Sarah Ann Ogilvie | Canada | 8:09.51 | R |
| 4 | Alison Bonner Kim Thomas | Great Britain | 8:14.52 | R |
| 5 | Bettina Kämpf Cordula Keller | West Germany | 8:19.76 | R |

### Repechage
#### Heat 1

| Rank | Rower | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Lynley Hannen Nikki Payne | New Zealand | 7:59.93 | FA |
| 2 | Marina Smorodina Sarmīte Stone | Soviet Union | 8:07.67 | FA |
| 3 | Kirsten Barnes Sarah Ann Ogilvie | Canada | 8:11.49 | FB |
| 4 | Bettina Kämpf Cordula Keller | West Germany | 8:20.13 | FB |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Rower | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Radka Stoyanova Lalka Berberova | Bulgaria | 7:50.94 | FA |
| 2 | Mara Keggi Barbara Kirch | United States | 8:05.55 | FA |
| 3 | Alison Bonner Kim Thomas | Great Britain | 8:13.13 | FB |
| 4 | Gong Jeong-Bae Lee Byeong-In | South Korea | 8:18.62 | FB |

### Finals
#### B final

| Rank | Rower | Country | Time |
| 7 | Kirsten Barnes Sarah Ann Ogilvie | Canada | 8:09.10 |
| 8 | Alison Bonner Kim Thomas | Great Britain | 8:15.20 |
| 9 | Bettina Kämpf Cordula Keller | West Germany | 8:22.08 |
| 10 | Gong Jeong-Bae Lee Byeong-In | South Korea | 8:25.14 |

#### A final

| Rank | Rower | Country | Time |
| | Rodica Arba Olga Homeghi | Romania | 7:28.13 |
| | Radka Stoyanova Lalka Berberova | Bulgaria | 7:31.95 |
| | Nikki Payne Lynley Hannen | New Zealand | 7:35.68 |
| 4 | Kerstin Spittler Katrin Schröder | East Germany | 7:40.47 |
| 5 | Sarmīte Stone Marina Smorodina | Soviet Union | 7:53.19 |
| 6 | Barbara Kirch Mara Keggi | United States | 7:56.27 |