On Lake Aiguebelette at the World Rowing Championships in France a few weeks ago, para-rowers were aiming for a top eight finish in each of the four Paralympic boat classes to qualify for the 2016 Paralympic Games. This was no easy task, considering the record number of entries in para-rowing at these championships.

Seventy boats overall entered in the four events on the Paralympic programme in Aiguebelette: 15 in the para women’s single sculls, 24 in the para men’s single sculls, 14 in the para mixed double sculls and 17 in the para mixed coxed four. Compared to previous Paralympic qualification years, there were 62 boats that lined up at the 2007 World Rowing Championships and 57 at the 2011 World Rowing Championships.

In addition to the 32 boats that have secured their spot for Rio at the 2015 World Rowing Championships, a further two boats will have a chance to qualify in each category at the 2016 Paralympic Qualification Regatta in April 2016.

Not only is Great Britain the nation that qualified the most boats (12) for the 2016 Olympic Rowing Regatta so far, it also qualified the most boats overall at the Paralympic level. All four para-rowing boat classes will see a British boat line up in Rio. This is a step up from 2011, when Great Britain qualified three Paralympic boats and went on to win one Paralympic medal, gold, in the para mixed coxed four. Great Britain now also has an accomplished para-athlete in the para women’s single sculls: Rachel Morris has been racing internationally since 2014 and won a silver medal at the World Rowing Championships two years running.

Four nations have qualified three boats each: Brazil, Italy, Ukraine and the United States. For both Brazil and Italy, this is a big leap from 2011 when they qualified one boat only. As the host nation of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, qualification in the para-rowing boat classes is especially encouraging for Brazil, as they are still hoping to qualify at the Olympic level.

In Rio, Norway and South Africa will be represented at a Paralympic Rowing Regatta for the very first time. Norway qualified in the para women’s single sculls thanks to Birgit Skarstein, their new para-rowing star. She made her international rowing debut in 2013 and has since won one World Championship silver medal (2013), one World Championship title (2014) and a bronze (2015). South Africa, placing fifth at the World Rowing Championships, will be sending a para mixed coxed four to the Paralympics.

After missing out on the 2012 Paralympic Games, the Netherlands are back in the game with two boats, thanks to a fifth-place finish in the para mixed double sculls and a sixth-place finish in the para men’s single sculls.

Noticeably absent from the qualification list is China. They topped the medals table at the London 2012 Paralympic Games with two gold medals, one in the para men’s single sculls and the other in the para mixed double sculls. Also of note is the absence of a Paralympic boat from New Zealand – amongst the five nations with the highest number of Olympic qualified boats, New Zealand is the only one that has yet to also qualify a boat for the 2016 Paralympic Games.

So far, 16 nations have qualified in para-rowing for Rio. At the 2011 World Rowing Championships, 19 nations qualified for the 2012 Paralympics, with a total of 23 nations then going on to be represented in para-rowing in London. The Paralympic Qualification Regatta in April 2016 will provide additional nations with the opportunity to compete in Rio. Bipartite invitation slots will also be allocated prior to the 2016 Paralympic Games.

To view the Olympic and Paralympic qualification tables to date, click here.

To view the Paralympic qualification document, click here.

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Nicole van Wyk (RSA)

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