Definitive Cancellation of the 2021 World Rowing Championships

World Rowing is aware that the cancellation of the 2021 World Rowing Championships and the lack of racing opportunities for the athletes starting or continuing their journey to Paris is extremely disappointing.

Our Member Federations have communicated the obvious importance of these annual championships to us over the last few days since the announcement of the cancellation of the 2021 World Rowing Championships due to have been staged in Shanghai, CHN this coming October. World Rowing shares your disappointment that the global pandemic and the related consequences continue to disturb sport events.

The World Rowing Executive Committee (EC) met this evening to consider whether there was time and capacity to possibly find a host, conduct the appropriate due diligence for such a complex undertaking, confirm all needed funding, confirm host broadcast funding/equipment/personnel availability, confirm Organising Committee and World Rowing personnel availability, arrange appropriate accommodation and transport as well as other contracted temporary facilities and then move to confirmation of a new host.

Member Federations would need early confirmation of the event to organise their own teams, training camps, selection events, equipment transport, secure their own funding commitments and allow coaches and athletes adequate time to prepare. In addition, the EC considered the added complexity of ensuring health and safety standards and potential travel related restrictions when hosting a rescheduled event in light of current projections and uncertainties on the COVID variant expected over the next months.

When considering the complexities and importance of delivering a World Championship to the standard required, the Executive Committee reluctantly concluded that, for most of the above-mentioned reasons, regrettably, there is not time to identify, confirm and prepare a World Championship regatta this year.

World Rowing would again like to acknowledge the fantastic work of the Shanghai Oorganising Committee and the Chinese Rowing Association as well as the extensive renovation of the regatta venue infrastructure carried out by the Shanghai authorities. It should be repeated that World Rowing hopes to be able to return to Shanghai soon.

 World Rowing Executive Committee