European Olympic and Paralympic Qualification regatta and 2021 European Rowing Championships are confirmed

Following extensive discussions with all key stakeholders, the World Rowing Executive Committee and European Rowing Board have verified that the preparations of the Organising Committee (OC) of the European Olympic and Paralympic Continental Qualification (5-7 April 2021) and 2021 European Rowing Championship (9-11 April) Regattas conform with the World Rowing requirements for 2021 regattas and have therefore confirmed that the regattas will take place, as planned, in Varese, Italy.

As required by World Rowing’s event management guidance (Return to Regattas found here) which was successfully tested during 2020, the OC has developed a covid-19 protection plan for staging the event based on the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Rowing and relevant local public health and medical authorities. World Rowing, European Rowing and the OC are confident that the measures planned to be in place are appropriate to minimise the risk of transmission and infection at the event. The regatta covid-19 Protection Plan is available online at vareserowing.com.

Each Member Federation is responsible to exercise maximum care for its team members before, during and after the event. All participants must follow the measures in the OC covid-19 Protection Plan at all times, including the wearing of masks at all times except in the boat, on an ergometer or at meals, social distancing and regular disinfection among the other measures published by the OC. The number of people at the venue at any one time will be limited where possible, and as such the venue may not be open for training for crews only competing in the European Rowing Championships until after racing has finished at the Continental Qualification Regatta.  Training and classification options for crews only competing at the European Rowing Championships will be published when the detail is finalised.

In addition to meeting any local government requirements, each participant at the regatta will be required to complete a Pre-Event Health Questionnaire and Member Federations are obliged to sign a consent form accepting responsibility for their team members. The forms will be sent out to Member Federations directly by the Varese OC and must be completed and returned to the OC by email to covidmanager@vareserowing.com. In addition, all participation conditions will be explained to participating athletes and officials in a webinar to be organised before travel to the event. To protect the health of all participants, anyone not adhering to the participation conditions will be immediately disqualified and excluded from the event, at the discretion of the World Rowing Executive Committee or European Rowing Board as relevant for the particular event.

World Rowing and European Rowing will hold a Video Conference Call for European Member Federations on Tuesday 26 February 2021 at 9:00 hrs CET, as an opportunity for representatives to ask any questions relating to the two regattas to be held in Varese. Details of the video call with Member Federations will be sent by email.

The latest Olympic and Paralympic Games qualification system documents are available on the relevant event page on the World Rowing website.

World Rowing, European Rowing and the Varese OC continue to monitor the covid-19 situation in Italy as well as the travel situation in Europe, and the latest recommendations from the WHO and local health authorities. Any further updates will be communicated to the Member Federations directly.