World Rowing announces the creation of a new international elite event, the World Rowing Shanghai Sprints, set to debut in September 2026.

The World Rowing Shanghai Sprints is expected to bring together 88 athletes from the eight best teams in the world, competing across four boat classes in a fast-paced, knockout-format regatta. Races will take place over a 500m, two-lane course on a highly iconic waterway in the heart of the city, delivering an intense sprint-style Rowing showcase at the highest levels.

The event will be staged annually and delivered in collaboration with the Shanghai Administration of Sports, the Donghao Lansheng Group – organisers of the recent 2025 World Rowing Championships and of the annual Shanghai Marathon – and with the support of the Chinese Rowing Association, as the culmination of the annual Head of Shanghai River Regatta.

“The Shanghai Sprints will be Rowing on another scale,” said World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland. “Shanghai has a rich connection with our sport. This new event will both celebrate and strengthen that relationship while creating a spectacular new stage for the world’s best rowers and enabling a recurring showcase of our sport at the highest levels.”

In addition to the coverage of travel, accommodation and participation costs for all athletes, the World Rowing Shanghai Sprints will feature prize money, ensuring the presence of the world’s top teams each year.

The inaugural edition will be staged towards the end of September 2026, with exact dates, qualification details and the list of participating teams to be announced by the end of 2025. World Rowing has committed to a minimum of five editions in Shanghai, through to 2030, with the possibility of further renewal.

This new event highlights World Rowing’s commitment to innovation and expanding the global presence of the sport.

2026 World Rowing Shanghai Sprints

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