Road to Paris : The PR1 Single Sculls

For this Road to Paris we move to the Paralympic Games and the PR1 men’s and women’s single sculls. This is the boat that got para rowing fired up back 22 years ago when it hit the international scene. It’s for rowers that (in broad terms) can’t use their legs. The seat is fixed, the rower is strapped into their seat and they row using their arms and shoulders. The boat has pontoons to help with balance and the hull has standard specifications.

This is the boat for rowers that want to do it by themselves and in the 20-odd years of racing it has produced some stars like London Paralympic Champion Alla Lysenko of Ukraine and 2008 Paralympic Champion Tom Aggar of Great Britain. There’s also Australia’s Erik Horrie and France’s Nathalie Benoit.

Most recently, Birgit Skarstein of Norway the PR1 Women’s single sculls and Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine in the PR1 men’s single sculls have dominated their respective races and both own the World Best Time. Skarstein continues to break her own time, most recently in 2023 with a 9:47. Polianskyi has set 8:50 and also broke his own time in 2023. Both of these scullers continue to get faster and when the para rowing distance changed from 1000m to 2000m after the 2016 Paralympic Games, they remained unfazed.

We take a close look at the para single at what may happen during Paris Paralympic Qualification at this year’s World Rowing Championships and we look beyond in the row to Paris.

Total quota places for Paris : 12 for the PR1 women’s single, 12 for the PR1 men’s single

Total number of athletes : 24

Qualification pathways:
7 quota places for men and 7 for women at the 2023 World Rowing Championships
1 quota place each at each of the four 2024 Continental Paralympic qualification regattas (if eligible)
1 quota place each at the 2024 Final Paralympic qualification regatta
Any slots that can still not be allocated shall be allocated via the Bipartite Commission Invitation Allocation.

Women’s PR1 single sculls

Reigning Olympic Champion: Birgit Skarstein
Reigning World Champion: Birgit Skarstein
World Rowing Cup II winner: Birgit Skarstein

When Birgit Skarstein finished fourth at the Rio Paralympic Games it was like the end of an era. She accepted her position and must have said “never again”. Since that regatta Skarstein has had an unbroken winning streak taking in all of the ensuing World Championships and the Tokyo Paralympic Games where her winning margin was awe-inspiring.  Skarstein is a true ambassador for para sport having also competed at the winter Paralympic Games and contested Norway’s Dancing with the Stars.

This track record puts Skarstein at the head of the field leading into the 2023 World Rowing Championships. But Skarstein does not have it all her own way. Israel’s Moran Samuel is a para rowing stalwart and at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II she finished just four seconds down on Skarstein. Also in the mix is Nathalie Benoit of France who has the talent and the longevity in the sport.

Depth in this field includes Ukraine’s Anna Sheremet who is still relatively young and remains a future talent. Keep an eye out too for Manuela Diening of Germany who continues to show promise.

Men’s PR1 single sculls

Reigning Olympic Champion : Roman Polianskyi
Reigning World Champion : Roman Polianskyi
World Rowing Cup II winner: Roman Polianskyi

The Ukrainian sculler, Roman Polianskyi has produced fabulous results despite the many challenges he has faced. He was diagnosed at ten years old with hereditary spastic paraplegia. He then lost his father when he was 18 and his mother not long after. He became an internally displaced person (refugee in his own country) and that was all before the Ukraine war with Russia even began.

Para rowing seems to have been his incredible outlet. Polianskyi won the Rio Paralympic Games just two years after taking up the sport. He took a while to adjust to the 2000m distance and once he did, the medals kept coming. Polianskyi won his second Paralympic title at the Tokyo Games and most recently he won World Rowing Cup II. But Polianskyi has also taken losses. At this year’s European Rowing Championships, the Ukrainian finished second to the young Giacomo Perini of Italy. But Polianskyi came back to win World Cup II in commanding fashion with Perini in second.

Also in the men’s mix is Egamberdiev Kholmurod of Uzbekistan who looks to be heading for the medals podium and Marcus Klemp of Germany. We haven’t seen much of Australia’s Erik Horrie. He is a regular medallist but hasn’t raced internationally yet this season. And there’s Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard who also hasn’t yet been seen this season but always makes his mark when he races.

Watch out for the men and women who row using their arms and shoulders only at this year’s World Rowing Championships. Expect to see some new faces and expect to watch the fast and furious pace of this style of rowing.