Record Entries for the Coastal Rowing Championships

For immediate release
Lausanne, 3 October 2016

A record number of entries have been received for the 2016 World Rowing Coastal Championships and close to 700 athletes from 30 nations will be heading to Monaco’s waters.

The largest field is the men’s double sculls with an impressive 74 entries including 19 French entries. Among the names are a number of Olympic and international-level rowers including Olympic brothers Nikolas and Apostolos Gkountoulas of Greece.

The men’s solo sees the return of 2014 World Champion Peter Burg of Sweden along with 2015 World Champion Miramon Quiroga Adrian of Spain who will return to defend his title. Adrian and Burg will face 63 other competitors in the men’s solo making it the second-largest field of the six boat classes.

The women’s double sculls has the highest number of women’s category entries with 36. In 2015, France’s Diane Delalleau and Nathalie Collet won in the women’s double. They will have to hold off 2015 silver medallists Kimberly Forde and Maria del mar Ferrer Sanchez of Spain.

The one to beat in the women’s solo will be Jessica Berra of France. She claimed World Championship titles in both 2014 and 2015.

Coastal rowers, often referred to as the mountain bikers of rowers, compete in sea-worthy, self-bailing rowing boats. The race is over a longer course than Olympic-type rowing and is raced on the open sea requiring wave navigation and buoy turns. Taking the best course between buoys and expertly navigating the turns, without crashing into other boats, is paramount to success. This year heats take place on a four kilometre course with five turns. Finals will be raced over six kilometres with six turns.

Due to the large number of entries for Monaco, racing will start on Thursday 20 October with qualification races. Then heats will take place on Friday 21 October with finals on 22 October.  

Monaco regularly plays host to coastal rowing events including the Prince Albert II Challenge held annually in February. The coastline in Monaco is the perfect setting for such an event, offering the rowers good waves and challenging conditions.

For more information visit: http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2016-world-rowing-coastal-championships/event-information