FISA announces future World Rowing event bidding process

For immediate release
Lausanne, 1 August 2016

The World Rowing Federation, FISA, has launched the bid process for future World Rowing events. These events include:

2019

·         World Rowing Cups I, II & III

·         World Rowing Junior Championships

·         World Rowing Under 23 Championships

2020

·         World Rowing Cups I, II & III

·         World Rowing Senior & Junior Championships

·         World Rowing Masters Regatta

2021

·         World Rowing Championships

The World Rowing Cups series include three regattas spread throughout the season. They are designed to act as a lead-up to the World Rowing Championships. They regularly attracted 40-50 nations and are raced over three days.

The World Rowing Championships is the most prestigious rowing regatta of the season. It attracts over 1,200 athletes from about 70 countries and also attracts a large spectator turnout and a wide global television audience.

The World Rowing Junior Championships normally attracts about 800 athletes from around 60 nations. The athletes must be 18 years of age or younger. As 2020 is an Olympic year, the junior championships will be combined with the senior non-Olympic World Championships.

One of FISA’s fastest-growing events is the World Rowing Under 23 Championships. This event acts as a stepping stone for athletes under 23 years of age to move to the elite ranks of rowing. The under-23 championship regatta draws over 800 athletes from more than 50 nations.

The World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships regatta takes place in an Olympic year. It is a combination of the usual junior championships with the senior events that are not raced at the Olympic Games. The last time this took place, in 2012, nearly 1,000 athletes raced from 57 countries . It usually is staged just after the Olympic Games.

The World Rowing Masters Regattas is the largest World Rowing event with a four-day concentrated programme of over 400 individual races. It typically attracts over 3,000 masters competitors (age 27+) from over 40 countries, and is treated like a sporting holiday.

FISA, has also launched the bid process for future European Rowing events. These events include:

2019

·         European Rowing Under 23 Championships

·         European Rowing Junior Championships

2020

·         European Rowing Championships

The European Rowing Championship regatta is the oldest FISA event dating back to 1893. It ended in 1973 but was re-started in 2007. Since the placement at the front of the season in 2013, it has become very popular with 36 countries and nearly 700 competitors, and attracts significant television interest (60 TV channels in nearly 30 countries). The European Rowing Junior Championships are now in their fifth year and attracts more than 25 countries and over 450 participants. The European Rowing Under 23 Championships is a new event that will start in 2017.

These events will be attributed at the 2017 European National Rowing Federations General Assembly on 27 May 2017 in Racice, CZE.

National Rowing Federations are invited to request the Bidding Information Sheet related to the event(s) for which they might be interested in hosting. These sheets may be requested from Nathalie Phillips on email: nathalie.phillips@fisa.org The next step is to indicate its intention to bid in writing to FISA. “Intention to Bid” letters should be sent on the National Federation’s letterhead to FISA Executive Director, Matt Smith at matt.smith@fisa.org by 2 September 2016.

For any questions regarding bidding, please contact Nathalie Phillips at nathalie.phillips@fisa.org or telephone +41 21 612 8373.