Para Rowers to Watch: Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games rowing regatta

The wait is over and it is finally time for the top para athletes to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Some of these athletes have not contested a major international event since 2019 and they are certainly ready to go for gold. Here’s who to watch.

PR1 Men’s single sculls (PR1M1x)

There are three clear top contenders in this boat class: Roman Polianksyi of Ukraine, Erik Horrie of Australia and Aleksey Chuvashev of  the Russian Paralympic Committee. These three athletes have had a friendly rivalry going on for the last two Olympic cycles. Polianksyi has been dominant since he entered the para rowing scene back in 2015. He qualified for the 2016 Paralympic Games where he became Paralympic Champion. But in 2017 and 2018, Erik Horrie got the better of him at the World Rowing Championships. In 2019, Polianksyi found his way to the top and has not competed against Horrie since then. This duo is likely to face off for places on the podium. But watch out too for Chuvashev. He has been on the podium frequently in the last Olympic cycle.

And don’t count out other possible medallists such as Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard. Pritchard is relatively new to the sport – starting in 2019 when he finished fourth at the World Rowing Championships. He also picked up a silver medal at the 2021 European Rowing Championships.

PR1 Women’s single sculls (PR1W1x)

In the PR1 women’s single, all eyes will be on Birgit Skarstein of Norway. Skarstein has been unstoppable in this event, especially since the transition to 2000m, but a Paralympic medal still eludes her. Skarstein finished fourth at the 2016 Paralympic Games. The path, however, will not be made easy for Skarstein.

Israel’s Moran Samuel is a consistent medal winner and holds a bronze medal from the 2016 Paralympic Games. She will certainly be looking to finish on the podium. And watch out too for the comeback of Nathalie Benoit from France. Benoit competed between 2009-2012 before taking a break from para rowing. She returned in 2019 where she finished second at the World Rowing Championships. Keep an eye too on the young Anna Sheremet of Urkaine. She recently finished third at the 2021 European Rowing Championships.

PR2 Mixed double sculls (PR2Mix2x)

It is likely to be a close race in the para mixed double sculls, but the frontrunners have to be defending World and Paralympic Champions from Great Britain, Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley. The duo first competed together in 2015, when they qualified the boat for the 2016 Paralympic Games by finishing second at the World Rowing Championships. They then dominated at the Paralympic Games to take the gold medal and have been almost unstoppable ever since.

But there are other top contestants in this boat class as well. Consistently on the podium are the Dutch duo of Corne de Koning and Annika van der Meer. They came together in this Olympic cycle and claimed gold at the 2017 and 2018 World Rowing Championships. They have been trying to chase down the British since their return in 2019. Keep an eye too on France. They finished third at the 2019 World Rowing Championships and are medal favourites come Tokyo. And don’t rule out top performances from Ukraine, Poland and Australia. These countries have had recent success in this boat class.

PR3 Mixed coxed four (PR3Mix4+)

The favourites in this category have to be the British. They have dominated this event for the last two Olympic cycles, despite an almost entirely new crew. The only remaining member from their 2016 Paralympic Champion crew is James Fox. Hot on their heels will be 2019 world silver medallists from the United States. The United States also returns with one member out of their 2016 Paralympic silver medal crew, Danielle Hansen. But both countries have had five years to work out their new line-ups and they are both likely to be very strong.

Keep an eye too on 2019 world bronze medallists from Italy. They also finished fourth at the 2021 European Rowing Championships, showing they are on form for this year’s Paralympic Games. And don’t rule out top performances from Ukraine and Canada. Ukraine have sporadically found the podium in the last few years and Canada put together a new-look crew with two of their bronze medallists from the 2016 Paralympic Games. They qualified through the Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta in Gavirate, Italy earlier this year.