Ali Hassan’s journey competing in all three rowing disciplines: indoor, flat water and coastal

Ali Hassan is a member of Egypt’s national rowing team, and fresh from winning a silver medal at the African Coastal Championships in Tunis. He spoke with World Rowing about participating in all three rowing disciplines: indoor, flat water and coastal at the elite level.

Hassan was inspired to row by his father, who also represented Egypt at the top level. He skipped playing football like many of his friends and joined rowing at the age of 15 at Arab Contractors Club in Cairo. Within just three years, in 2010, Hassan was invited to join the national team. “I just loved being on the water and being out in nature”, says Hassan. His selection was particularly notable as he initially competed as a lightweight yet won selection in the heavyweight pair.

Training on the river Nile, the world’s longest river, has its unique features. Hassan describes how “there can be very strong current, so you could be flying in one direction and really struggling in the other. It can also be wavy at times, and of course, it’s very hot in the summer. However, the size of the river means there is plenty of space for rowers, even with the other river traffic”.

Hassan was very enthusiastic about participating in all three disciplines of rowing, with a focus on indoor training on the erg during winter training. He says, “it’s great that there are now more indoor rowing competitions. Instead of doing an internal rowing test for selections, we can now do it in a World Rowing Indoor Championships, which is much more rewarding.” Hassan’s positivity is understandable, having proudly earned himself a World Championship gold recently in the men’s team 3-minute sprints.

Away from the ergo, flat water training and racing is a staple for elite and club rowers alike, but Hassan describes how the introduction of coastal rowing has meant new ways of training, “we now have these weekend coastal rowing camps, where we practice unique features such as the importance of running and smooth boat entry and exit. The racing shells are wider, heavier, and the waves can all cause coastal rowing to be challenging, but it also makes the racing season much more thrilling.”

Hassan has different coaches for coastal and flat water training. “There is a lot of coordination between the programmes to ensure there is enough time to prepare for both types of racing”, he reassures quickly with a smile.

Hassan has been instrumental in increasing coastal rowing in Egypt. He says, “I competed last year at Oeiras as the first Egyptian in a coastal rowing event. I have since introduced the sport to the rowing scene in Egypt and they have sent a full team to this year’s World Rowing Beach Sprints Final and World Rowing Coastal Championships. This is something I have always aspired to, which is increasing rowing’s reach within my country, and most importantly inspiring other generations to participate in whichever discipline they choose. This is another reason I do all three types of rowing them besides loving the sport.”

When asked whether he had a preference of rowing form, Hassan struck a balanced tone, “I love the erg, it is painful, it hurts a lot, but it helps you propel the boat faster. I am most familiar with flat water rowing, so that is my natural preference. Coastal rowing is the most exciting; it’s a shorter race, so spectators can watch the race from beginning to end, which is important for the growth and popularity of the sport.”

Hassan is now focused on the season ahead, describing how ‘my goal is to improve my 2km on the erg. For flat water rowing, qualifying for the Olympics, the pinnacle of the sport, is important to me. For coastal rowing, I look forward to competing at the World Beach Games next year in Bali, having recently qualified for it.”

He is also excited about the future of the sport, adding “rowing is increasingly more accessible to everyone, especially with more virtual indoor racing, so now everyone can compete at the World Championships level. World Rowing has also put in a huge effort to get more people involved in rowing from different regions, which is great to see.” What is also great to see is Hassan showing us all how you can embrace rowing in all its forms!