16 Jun 2022
The 2022 World Rowing Cup II will feature Athlete Lane Selection
The 2022 World Rowing Cup II, scheduled between the 16th and 19th of June in Poznan, Poland, will feature Athlete Lane Selection (ALS). This will provide athletes and coaches added tactical decision making by allowing the athletes to select their lane based on their ranking from their previous race. The Athlete Lane Selection process is explained below.
Each Member Federation will designate a specific individual, known as the “Designated Person” (DP), responsible for Athlete Lane Selection for each crew.
Heats – random draw
Heats are conducted via a random draw as usual for the World Rowing Cup regattas. Depending on the results of the heats, crews are progressed into their respective next round race.
Subsequent rounds after heats – Athlete Lane Selection
45 minutes before the start of the race, the highest-ranked crew from the previous round would be allowed to select their lane first. The second-ranked crew from the previous round would be allowed to select their lane second, and this goes on until every crew has a lane assigned for their next round. Where there is an equal ranking from the previous round, the fastest timed crew will be allowed to select their lane first.
Consequences of missing Athlete Lane Selection
All lane selections must be made in person. If neither the DP nor Team Manager goes to the Control Commission at the allocated time, the selection process will move on to the next crew. The missing crew will be allocated the last available lane, or if two or more crews do not attend ALS, a random allocation of lanes will be done.
Post Athlete Lane Selection
40 minutes before the start of the race, the lane selections are confirmed and start lists produced.
Schedule or weather change
In the event of a schedule change, a delay of less than an hour will not change lane allocations. Delays or postponement of more than an hour would result in a reset in Athlete Lane Selection, with the lane selection procedure commencing 45 minutes before the start of the race.
The trial of the Athlete Lane Selection in Poznan is the second of its kind, following testing during the 2018 season. This selection process came about as a result of feedback from athletes and teams via the World Rowing Athletes Commission. Over the last years, an Athlete Lane Selection working group has studied the best options, gathered feedback from athletes and worked to develop and refine the Athlete Lane Selection procedures to be used at the Malta Lake in Poznan at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II.