The 15 teams first raced in two heats. The top three finishers in each heat advanced directly to the final, and the remaining nine teams advanced to the semifinal. No teams were eliminated in the heats. The heats were raced on August 24.
The top three finishers in the semifinal race qualified for the final, joining the six teams that had advanced directly from the heats. The other six teams were eliminated. The semifinal was raced on August 26.