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

The Romanian rower Rodica Arba had competed in the event since the 1981 season,^[1] and dominated it—with different partners—since the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles,^[2] where she won gold with Elena Horvat.^[3] She gained the 1985 World Rowing Championships title with Horvat,^[4] and won the 1986 and 1987 World Rowing Championships with Olga Homeghi.^[5][6] Arba and Homeghi were the only team favoured to have a chance of winning the event at the 1988 Olympics.^[2] The East German rowers were regarded as medal contenders, as they had gained medals in the event at the last three World Championships.^[4][5][6] Canada were the reigning Pan American champions.^[2]

Competition	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1980 Summer Olympics[7]	East Germany	Poland	Bulgaria
1981 World Rowing Championships[1]	East Germany	Canada	Romania
1982 World Rowing Championships[8]	East Germany	Poland	Canada
1983 World Rowing Championships[9]	East Germany	Romania	Canada
1984 Summer Olympics[3]	Romania	Canada	West Germany
1985 World Rowing Championships[4]	Romania	United States	East Germany
1986 World Rowing Championships[5]	Romania	Soviet Union	East Germany
1987 World Rowing Championships[6]	Romania	East Germany	Soviet Union

• Official Report of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad Seoul, 1988 – Volume 1: Competition Summary and Results (in English and French). Seoul: Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee. 1989. OCLC 23924033.

• Volume 1 Part 1 – up to page 305
• Volume 1 Part 2 – pages 306–587
• Volume 1 Part 3 – pages 588–866

• Official Report of the Games of the XXIVth Olympiad Seoul, 1988 – Volume 2: Competition Summary and Results (in English and French). Seoul: Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee. 1989. OCLC 23924033.

• Volume 2 Part 1 – up to page 144
• Volume 2 Part 2 – pages 145–725

• 1988 Summer Olympics women's coxless pairs final on YouTube