The World Rowing Championships 2025 is set to take place from from 21-28 September in Shanghai, China. Competitions will be held at the Shanghai Water Sports Centre in which 900 athletes from from 56 nations will take part.
With competition across 23 boat classes- including Olympic, non-Olympic, lightweight, and para-rowing events– this year’s edition is not only a celebration of global talent but a crucial stepping stone on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games.
As always, the stakes are high. For the world’s top crews, this regatta represents the first real benchmark of Olympic-season form. But in a sport as unforgiving as rowing, only a handful will leave Shanghai with medals around their necks– most will leave with sore arms, full hearts, and nothing but their oars in hand.
World Rowing Championships 2025: Big Names For Big Occassion
The men’s single sculls is set to be one of the headline events, featuring reigning world and Olympic champion Oliver Zeidler of Germany. Returning to elite competition after taking time off to focus on his studies, Zeidler will face stiff competition from Yauheni Zalaty and Simon van Dorp, both medalists from the Paris 2024 Games.
On the women’s side, the absence of Dutch powerhouse Karolien Florijn, the reigning world and Olympic champion, leaves the field wide open at the World Rowing Championships 2025 . Rising British sculler Lauren Henry, Ireland’s Fiona Murtagh, and Lithuania’s Viktorija Senkute– the only Paris 2024 finalist in the draw– are among those vying to seize the moment and claim the crown.
The Eights, the Siblings, and the Hosts
Traditionally among the most watched races, the men’s and women’s eight events will see defending champions Great Britain and Romania, respectively, fight to hold onto their titles. With 10 crews in each race – plus the debut of the mixed-gender eight at Worlds – the competition will be fiercer than ever.
Family fans will be drawn to Croatia’s men’s four, which includes two sets of brothers, featuring Olympic legends Martin and Valent Sinkovic, who have won four Olympic medals across three boat classes.
Local fans will have their eyes on Chen Yunxia and Zhang Ling, Olympic champions from Tokyo 2020 in the women’s quadruple sculls, who will compete in the women’s double. With all three medal-winning crews from Paris 2024 absent, the Chinese duo enters as strong favourites, facing an experienced French team and a promising young Greek pair.
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A Regatta Full of Possibility
With nearly two dozen events and countless storylines, surprises are all but guaranteed. Whether it’s a photo finish, an unexpected breakout star, or a titanic clash between titans, the World Rowing Championships 2025 promise all the drama and intensity that make rowing one of the most compelling sports on the water.
So buckle up, and keep your eyes on the finish line– Shanghai is about to deliver a regatta for the ages.
