Para rowers to watch - 2022 World Rowing Championships

The 2022 World Rowing Championships are now less than a week away, and the anticipation is building for the return of the event for the first time since 2019. There are 72 para crews entered at the event, who be compete in nine boat classes. These championships will also mark 20 years since the first para boat classes were contested at a World Rowing Championships. Here are our para rowers to watch.

Para rowing at the World Rowing Championships includes three “sport classes”. “PR” stands for Para rowing. The sport class numbers 1, 2 and 3 refer to the level of function rowers have as it relates to rowing. PR1 is the lowest level of rowing-related function; PR3 is the highest.

PR1 Women’s Single Sculls

Entries: 8

Reigning World Rowing Champion: SKARSTEIN Birgit (NOR)

The name that has dominated this boat class in recent years is Birgit Skarstein. The Norwegian is the Paralympic, World, and European Champion in this boat class, and holds the World Best Time, a blazing fast 9:50.39, which she set earlier this season.

The silver and bronze medallists from the recent European Championships will also be racing; Manuela Diening of Germany, who finished 5th at the  2021 European Championships, and has been on the rise since. Anna Sheremet of Ukraine, who has been racing internationally since 2017 when she was just 17 years old, is the bronze medallist from the 2022 European Rowing Championships, and finished just off the podium at last year’s Paralympic Games.

PR1 Men’s Single Sculls

Entries: 17

Reigning World Rowing Champion: POLIANSKYI Roman (UKR)

It might be a rematch of the 2020 Paralympic Games final, with all six of those finalists entered. Roman Polianskyi stands out as the reigning World and Paralympic Champion. But don’t discount the surprise of the season, Giacomo Perini of Italy, who has won each of the races he has entered so far this season, and set a new World Best Time of 8:55.21.

The largest age span in a boat class at these championships is in the PR1 M1x: Alejandra Magno Vera of Argentina is the eldest competitor across all boat classes at age 58, and Egamberdiev Kholmurod of Uzbekistan only just turned 19.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls

Entries: 10

Reigning World Rowing Champions: ROWLES Lauren, WHITELEY Laurence (GBR)

The whole podium from the 2022 European Rowing Championships will be looking to build on their performance from that regatta; Svitlana Bohuslavska and Iaroslav Koiuda of Ukraine, Jolanta Majka and Michal Gadowski of Poland, and Perle Bouge and Stephane Tardieu of France.

They will face tough competition from Paralympic silver medallist Corne de Koning and his new partner Chantal Haenen.

In the German boat, Leopold Reimann will be racing with Sylvia Pille-Steppat, who has opted to race up into a high sport class for this event. They have only started racing together this year, but no doubt they are still finding their speed and will be ones to watch.

PR2 Men’s Single Sculls

Entries: 7

Reigning World Rowing Champion: de KONING Corne (NED)

Of the seven entries in this boat class, three are doubling up in the PR2 Mix2x. That includes the reigning World Champion in this boat class, and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic silver medallist in the PR2 Mix2x, Corne de Koning. Koning set a New World Best Time in this boat class earlier in the season, a 8:20.61.

He will face tough competition from Gian Filippo Mirabile of Italy, who is also no stranger to the podium.

PR2 Women’s Single Sculls

Entries: 4

Reigning World Rowing Champion: ROSS Kathryn (AUS)

While this boat class might not be on the Paralympic roster, do not look past it. Many Paralympic medallists will be racing, either doubling up in another boat class, or taking a year to enjoy different boats before preparing for next year’s qualifications.

Katie O’Brien of Ireland won gold at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II in Poznan, where she set a New World Best Time of 9:14.65, but will face a challenge at these Championships from the very experienced Kathryn Ross of Australia, who is the reigning World Rowing Champion in this boat class.

PR3 Mixed Coxed Four

Entries: 9

Reigning World Rowing Champions: BUTTRICK Ellen, RAKAUSKAITE Giedre, FOX James C., STANHOPE Oliver, KENNEDY Erin (GBR)

This boat class can’t be mentioned with the crew from Great Britain coming to mind. Not only are they the reigning European, World, and Paralympic Champions, but they also hold the World Best Time, which they set back in 2019. They have three different crew members onboard since the last World Rowing Championships; Francesca Allen, Edward Fuller, and cox Morgan Baynham-Williams, who will be taking the place of Erin Kennedy.

Keep an eye out as well for Germany, Italy, and France, who have all been on the podium this season.

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls

Entries: 9

Reigning World Rowing Champions: ZHAGOT Valentina, BORISOV Evgenii (RUS)

This boat class will definitely be one to watch these championships, as it is the first edition since the announcement it would be included in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

It has not yet been contested at any World Rowing regattas this season, but was won by the USA at the 2022 International Para Regatta in early May.

Americans Todd Vogt and Pearl Outlaw have their sights set on qualifying in this boat for the games at next year’s World Championships, and racing in the 2024 Games.

PR3 Women’s Pair

Entries: 3

Reigning World Rowing Champions: MOORE Molly, SMITH Jaclyn (USA)

The Australian pair of Alexandra Viney and Alex Vuillermin raced at the 2022 World Rowing Cup I in the Women’s Pair, and will be surely looking forward to some good racing at these Championships. Francesca Allen and Giedre Rakauskaite of Great Britain will be doubling up in the PR3 Mix4+, but have not yet raced the pair together internationally. It will be interesting to see how they line up against the Australians and the Italians of Ludovica Tramontin and Greta Muti.

PR3 Men’s Pair

Entries: 5

Reigning World Rowing Champions: FREDRICKSON Kyle, TODD Andrew (CAN)

This boat class was contested at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II in Poznan, Poland earlier this season, where the Ukrainian pair of Andrii Syvykh and Dmytro Herez took silver. No question about it, they will be looking to build on that performance, especially since they will be facing a different French crew than the one that took gold at that regatta.

Also keep an eye on Oliver Stanhope and Edward Fuller of Great Britain, they have been dominant in the PR3 Mix4+, and will surely be looking to have that success translate over to this boat class as well.

 

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