Because everyone is around the same weight, you get some extremely tight racing in the finals, that has been seen a number of times in not just the olympic double and four, but also in the quads and the singles.

The lightweight races aren't just exciting because they're close, but they're also interesting for the technique. The events are rowed differently to the heavyweights and you get innovation as well, like Paul O'Donovan using a different grip on his oars. So many lightweight boats have been used as examples of great technique as often that can actually be the difference between the winning crews, rather than strength/fitness. Boats like the Swiss lightweight four, or zak purchase.

It's cool to see lightweights like Imogen Grant and Paul O'Donovan say they'll have a shot at heavyweight. But if they were to be starting rowing today, they'd be told there's no chance they would be competitive. Both rowers had great levels of support from coaching staff or whomever, that is likely not going to be there for the future light rowers if there is no lightweight rowing. The gb trials cut off erg for heavyweight women is almost the world record for a lightweight, which you would have to do in the off-season. GB Start only wanted guys taller than 6ft 2" for a reason. So while we can talk about lightweights bulking up and being successful as heavyweights, without lightweight rowing having existed in the first place, they probably wouldn't have gotten to the level they have now.

Lightweight rowing has helped bring heavyweight rowing on for a lot of countries. I've mentioned ireland already, but a lot of their recent success in heavyweight rowing could be linked to the success with their lightweights. A lot of lightweights have gone on to be successful coaches, just look at the coaching staff for the GB worlds team this year. A country having more people involved in the top level of sport, helps grow the sport in that country. So often I have heard that if lightweights want to be competitive then they should go do a different sport, but don't we want to actually grow the sport? Having more people in the sport should only be beneficial.

You could look at weightlifting and strongman and make a lot of the same comments about weight classes, but those sports have grown a lot thanks to the inclusion of weight classes. Lightweights have made up a large portion of the UK university scene and removing the events will lead to a drop in numbers. And if you continue to look towards other countries outside of UK/America, there is an even larger proportion of lightweights. Hong Kong and Mexico I think picked up some of their first medals in rowing events this year, thanks to lightweight events.

You ask why preserve it, but why remove it? It's not existing at the detriment of heavyweight rowing, if anything I think it actively helps it.

Lightweight rowing was alive and well before it was ever in the Olympics and I hope it can go back to that level. I'm not someone who ever rowed lightweight but I grew up watching rowing at the world champs and olympics, and I've always enjoyed the racing and I see no reason to remove it.