Rowers to watch - 2024 World Rowing Indoor Championships

The 2024 World Rowing Indoor Championships take place in Prague on 23 and 24 February and have attracted over 2000 entries in the 2000m, 500m and team events from athletes in more than 50 countries. Competing both in-person and virtually, these are the rowers to watch.

MEN’S EVENTS

Ward Lemmelijn (BEL)

At the 2023 World Rowing Indoor Championships, Belgium’s Ward Lemmelijn finished second behind Oliver Zeidler in the open men’s category, posting a lightning-fast time of 5:39.7, and breaking that 5:40 barrier. This year, Lemmelijn will be hoping he can regain the title he last won in 2022. The indoor rowing specialist has been mixing up his training lately by competing at a couple of Hyrox events, but the erg is what he knows best.

Jakub Podrazil (CZE)

Competing in front of his home crowd, 2023 bronze medallist Jakub Podrazil will have his eyes on the top step of the podium this year. He holds the first ever World Rowing Indoor Champion title, from back in 2018 when he won in Virginia, USA. He went out hard last year before being overtaken by Ward Lemmelijn, so pacing could be key this coming weekend. But the 32-year-old has bags of racing experience, on and off the water, and will be cheered on by the spectators in Prague as he seeks another world indoor title.

Martino Goretti (ITA)

Italy’s Martino Goretti has excelled in all rowing disciplines – flat water, coastal, and of course indoor. Goretti has won silver and bronze at the World Rowing Indoor Championships previously, but never a gold. At the age of 38 Goretti will be one of the older competitors in the lightweight men’s 23-39 category, but will definitely be out to challenge the likes of 2023 gold and silver medallists Jiri Simanek and Florian Roller.

Miroslav Vrastil (CZE)

Czechia’s Miroslav Vrastil was competing virtually at the 2023 World Rowing Indoor Championships, and he had problems with his internet connection, but still smashed out a world record for the lightweight men’s 40-44 age category. Vrastil is not yet done, however, and has his eyes on the overall Czech lightweight record this year with the added benefit of competing in-person in Prague. Vrastil is using the erg as training for his fourth Olympic Games this summer, where he is looking for an Olympic medal to add to his indoor medal collection.

Daniel Viger (CAN) – competing virtually

Daniel Viger is one of the competitors at the World Rowing Indoor Championships whose background is not in rowing; instead, he has come from the world of Cross Fit. That did not stop Viger from qualifying for the Versa Challenge in 2023. He is now competing virtually in the men’s 23-39 category over 2000m, a great example of how indoor rowing attracts athletes with a variety of previous sporting experience.

Joonas Kuivalainen (FIN)

Finland has a huge tradition with indoor rowing – and while Joel Naukkarinen will try to repeat as the Versa Champion, another Finn might steal the show on the 500m distance. Joonas Kuivalainen posted the fastest qualifying time in the 23-39 M category, with a 1:12.9 mark.  In the absence of the reigning champion, Phil Clapp, the competition will be wide open, and we may see Finland again standing atop the podium.

Andrew Benko (USA)

Another standout from last year – Andrew Benko, from the USA, is coming in to Prague to defend not only his World title from last year, but also his world record on the 2000m distance. He will compete on both distances, and will try to repeat his feat from last year in Mississauga, where he came home with two gold medals. He will face tough competition, but nothing seems to puzzle the big man from Chicago, Illinois.

WOMEN’S EVENTS

Alexandra Foester (GER) – competing virtually

Germany’s Alexandra Foester has burst on to the world scene in the past few years: world junior champion in the women’s single sculls in 2019, under-23 champion in 2021 and 2022, and a senior European and World Rowing Cup medallist in 2022 and 2023. She is still only 22 years old and will race in the women’s 21-22 age group in Prague, having previously won the under-19 indoor title in 2020 in a time of 6:51.3. If, as expected, Foester has got quicker in the last few years, she will start as one of the favourites again.

Sara Maria Johansen (DEN)

At the 2023 World Indoor Rowing Championships Sára Maria Johansen was triumphant in the women’s 21-22 age category. The Faroese rower – who will represent Denmark in Prague – is now stepping up to the 23-39 category with her eyes on another medal. Johansen is making the most of the competition, and is also entered in the 500m individual category and the 2000m mixed team relay.

Kathleen Noble (UGA) – competing virtually

In 2021 Kathleen Noble became the first rower from Uganda to compete at the Olympic Games, representing her country in the women’s single sculls; she qualified the boat for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the African Championships last October. Now she is bringing Uganda back to the World Rowing Indoor Championships. Noble previously competed in 2021, finishing fifth in the lightweight women’s race, but is racing openweight this time around.

Kathryn Mole (GBR)

Kathryn Mole is currently setting out her stall to be one of Great Britain’s next generation of star rowers. Fresh off winning the February on-water trials for development rowers as well as the British Indoor Rowing Championships in December in a time of 6:52.2, and she posted a 6:49.6 during the British 2023 University Indoor and Adaptive Rowing Series in November last year. Mole is now testing herself against the world and with fast times already under her belt, will certainly be hoping for a result.

Michala Pospisilova (CZE)

With 10 Czech entries in the women’s 23-39 age category, there will be plenty of home representation in Prague. Among the current national squad entries, look out for Michala Pospíšilová. Pospíšilová turns 24 on the day of the race, and could give herself an excellent birthday present with a good result. She has previously represented her country on the water in sculling, sweep and beach sprints, most recently alongside fellow World Indoor Rowing Championships competitor Markéta Nedelová in the women’s double sculls at the 2023 World Rowing Championships.

Benita Clausen (NOR)

The masters Women’s 50-54 500m is always a super highly contested event. In 2022, while competing at home, Benita Clausen of Norway beat the world record in a time of 1:32.8. Clausen is back this year in Prague and will face tough competition, with Nadege Beaulieu-Lecrosnier of France qualifying with the exact same time as Clausen, and two other athletes within only three seconds of the world record holder. Could we see another world record being broken this weekend?

Doris Meinbek (EST)

Another name familiar with indoor rowing fans – Doris Meinbek of Estonia is only 19 years old, but she’s already a three-time World Rowing Indoor Champion. Having the fastest qualifying time in the Women’s 19-20 500m, she will come in as the heavy favourite to win another world championship title. And be crowned for a fourth time World Rowing Indoor Champion before even turning 20 years old.

PARA EVENTS

Michal Gadowski & Jolanta Majka (POL)

Poland’s PR2 duo of Michal Gadowski and Jolanta Majka have raced together for 13 years now, with consistent success on the water – most recently taking bronze in the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. But they also excel on the erg, and come to Prague as defending champions in their respective categories, having previously both won silver at the 2021 World Rowing Indoor Championships.

Sylvia Pille-Steppat (GER)

Sylvia Pille-Steppat is a former world champion in the women’s PR1 2000m category, having won the event in 2022. She also picked up bronze in 2021 and silver in 2020, showing her pedigree on the erg and cementing herself as favourite in Prague. Pille-Steppat raced for Germany in the PR1 women’s single sculls at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and the 56-year-old is currently in the German PR2 mixed double sculls seeking qualification for Paris this summer.