Skarstein and Perini in top form at the Gavirate International Para-Rowing Regatta

The Lago di Varese is about to welcome the 2023 World Rowing Cup II. But the lake was busy already last weekend, with the Gavirate International Para-Rowing Regatta – the annual regatta draws in some of the best para-rowers in the world.

The Gavirate Regatta maintains a unique three day format which effectively sees the same para-rowing boat classes contested twice. Friday heats were seeded directly to Saturday finals followed by redrawn heats leading to Sunday finals. This gave the opportunity for excellent racing with many athletes taking the chance to compete in multiple events.

Athletes from 20 countries competed in 13 boat classes, including the five Paralympic boat classes that will be raced in Paris next year. The reigning European Champions in both the PR1 men’s and women’s single sculls proved their domination once again, with both Giacomo Perini of Italy and Birgit Skarstein of Norway winning their respective races on Saturday and Sunday.

The new PR3 mixed coxed four combination from Australia – still featuring coxswain Teesaan Koo – also won its two races, both times ahead of Italy. Both crews are entered for World Rowing Cup II and will have to face the reigning Olympic, World and European Champions from Great Britain.

In the PR2 mixed double sculls, the reigning World Champions of Ukraine, Svitlana Bohuslavaska and Iaroslav Koiuda won the first race on Saturday, but did not race on Sunday, leaving room for Shahar Milfelder and Saleh Shahin of Israel to win the second race.

The PR3 mixed double sculls – who will be featured for the first time in Paris next year – saw Jed Altschwager and Nikki Ayers of Australia winning both races – on Sunday, they went faster than the actual World Best Time, and will have to repeat that performance in Varese this weekend to be officially the fastest crew in the PR3Mix2x.

In the non-Paralympic boat classes, one performance that stood out was also Corne De Koning’s time in the heat PR2 men’s single sculls – which was also faster than his official World Best Time in that boat class. Corne won the final on Sunday, ahead of Iaroslav Koiuda and Gianfilippo Mirabile.

Most of these crews will compete again in Varese, for what will be their last international race before the all-important Paralympic qualification at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade. 

Results summary

PR3 mixed coxed four (PR3 Mix4+)
Saturday:             AUS, ITA, ISR, UZB
Sunday:               AUS, ITA, UZB, ISR

PR2 mixed double sculls (PR2 Mix2x)
Saturday:            UKR, POL, ISR, IRL, USA, NED
Sunday:              ISR, ITA, USA, MEX, UZB

PR1 men’s single sculls (PR1 M1x)
Saturday:             ITA, UKR, UZB, ESP, UKR2, USA
Sunday:             ITA, UKR, UZB, ESP, MEX, UKR2

PR1 women’s single sculls (PR1 W1x)
Saturday:             NOR, UKR, NED, SWE,  KEN, THA
Sunday:               NOR, UKR, NED, SWE,  KEN

PR2 men’s single sculls (PR2 M1x)
Saturday:             ITA, AUS, ITA2, ITA3, ESP2, MLT
Sunday:               NED, UKR, ITA, AUS, ITA2, ITA3

PR2 women’s single sculls (PR2 W1x)
Saturday:             UKR, NOR2, NOR
Sunday:               UKR2, UKR, NOR2, NOR

PR3 mixed double sculls (PR3 Mix2x)
Saturday:             AUS, UKR, ITA, ESP, THA
Sunday:               AUS, UKR, ITA, ESP, MEX

More information here.