Top under-23 rowers arrive in Racice

The World Rowing Under 23 Championships begin in Racice, Czech Republic, on 23 July.

The eight-laned manmade regatta course was built in 1986 specifically so the country could have an international rowing venue. Racice hosted the World Rowing Junior Championships that year and the course has been in use ever since. Built on a former sand quarry, Racice has also hosted the 1993 World Rowing Championships and the 2002 World Rowing Masters Regatta. The Czech national team are based and train at Racice for periods during the summer, using it especially for fine-tuning their skills on a 2000m buoyed Albano course.

The regatta course is also popular for canoeing and triathlons and is used recreationally for swimming, fishing and, around the perimeter, rollerblading.

The small village of Racice has about 200 inhabitants and boasts the famous rower Vaclav Chalupa and his family as residents. Chalupa is the Czech Republic’s most well-known rower. He was the country’s top single sculler from 1989 for over a decade, before Ondrej Synek took over the spot in 2005. Chalupa, 41, continues to compete internationally and is currently rowing in the pair. He has competed at six Olympic Games.  

The Czech team competing this week include 24 athletes with Olympian Jitka Antosova leading the way. Antosova, 22, already has two under-23 championship titles in the double (with partner, Gabriela Varekova), but this year she is going it alone in the single. Antosova raced at the Rowing World Cup earlier this season and finished a credible fifth.

Over the four days of under-23 racing the weather is expected to be stormy for the first day (23 July) and then good rowing conditions for the remaining time with temperatures in the low 20°C. Finals begin in the 21 boat classes at 10:48 (CEST) on Sunday 26 July.