Originally Posted by
Pratt
Rowers, at the top levels, are much heavier than cyclists of the same height. Rowing puts much more emphasis on upper body strength than cycling. Weight carries much less penalty for a rower. Rowers spend much less of their tie accelerating, while even relatively flat cycling terrain has numerous hills. Every hill requires acceleration.
Hiro make a good point also, the auk is an island.
Not that it matters, but most major rowing competitions include divisions for lightweight rowers. The weight cutoff varies but is typically between 150 lbs and 160 lbs for men. For the 2020 (2021?) Olympics, the lightweight events will be limited to the double sculls for both the men and the women.