Rowing's Future Stars prepare for the 2006 World Rowing Junior Championships

More than 650 athletes in 220 boats representing 52 nations have entered for the pinnacle event of junior rowing and will defend their respective national colours in each of the 13 events of the Junior championships' racing programme. Germany has entered the largest team with 48 athletes making it the only nation to have boats racing in each event, showing that Germany has some promising years ahead.

The most popular event at this year's championships is the men's double scull, which can pride itself on a 28-strong boat entry. Among them, a Slovenian crew featuring Jan Spik, the younger brother of Luka Spik who was awarded the 2005 World Rowing men's crew of the year. This will be Jan's third participation in the World Rowing Junior Championships and will be another chance to show the Spik family's rowing talent.

This regatta also features participation from 15 countries supported by the FISA Development Programme. It is a first time participation for Bolivia with male single sculler Raffaele Morgantini. It is also the first time that the Islamic Republic of Iran whose men and women's single scullers will each double up in the men and women's double sculling event, will take part in a World Rowing competition.

In preparation for this event, several of the developing rowing nations have been given the opportunity to take part in a training camp organised by the Royal Dutch Rowing Federation and hosted by local clubs in and around Amsterdam. The camp included Egypt, Iran, Paraguay, Uruguay, Israel, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Georgia.

To compete in the World Rowing Junior Championships, rowers must be no older than 18 years. An athlete is considered to be a junior until 31 December of the year in which s/he reaches the age of 18. After that date s/he shall be classified an Under 23 rower.

The development programme is partly supported by FISA's World Rowing Masters Regatta. With each entry at this regatta, 1 Euro from the entry fee goes to support the development of youth rowing. In 2005, the World Rowing Masters Regatta collected over Euros 5'000.00.

The 2006 World Rowing Junior Championships will take place on the Bosbaan Regatta course in the Amsterdam forrest, in the southern part of the city, not far from the airport. The venue hosted last year's World Rowing Under 23 Championships, and will be host to the second stage of the 2008 Rowing World Cup. Built in 1936, Amsterdam's Bosbaan has recently gone through some extensive renovations including a widening of the course to eight lanes, construction of a new finish tower and a new Olympic training centre as well as a doubling of the size of the boathouses and athlete facilities.

Full reports, live video and audio streaming, live results and features will be available on www.worldrowing.com during the event.

For more detailed venue information, visit http://www.wkroeien.nl