Asian and Oceanian Olympic and Paralympic Qualification heads to Korea

The best rowers from the Asian and Oceanian region are gathering in Chungju, Korea for the 2024 World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta. The regatta course is the Tangeum Lake International Rowing Regatta course.

The course became well-known when it hosted the 2013 World Rowing Championships. This was the first time for a world championships in Korea and the second time in Asia. It was one of the first times a floating road was used that took the television boats off the water and therefore no wash created for the rowers. The road was made out of connected concrete units filled with EPS, extended polystyrene. The road is also allows coaches to follow the race on bicycles.

The championships entertained huge audiences who came not just for the rowing, but the activities organised around the venue. For the championships a spectator stand with 1,100 seats was built at the finish line. The championships received much publicity with the then United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon addressing the opening ceremony. Ban had a personal interest having grown up in Chungju.

“Your challenge is to win the race against each other,” said Ban. “But we, as a human family, are in a race against time to address poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation. I count on you to be part of our team. Rowers know better than anyone the importance of moving together toward a common goal.”

At the time it was the biggest ever world championship event with 75 countries taking part and around 1000 athletes.

Tangeum has since hosted many large rowing events including other Asian Qualification Regattas and the Asian Games.

Tangeum Lake is manmade and was formed as a result of the Chungju Dam. It sits between Chungju Dam and Jojung Dam. The water flow can be completely controlled making it an ideal rowing venue. There are low hills on either side of the lake and nearby is the Songnae Valley and Woraksan Mt.

As well as Tangeum, Korea has a second international standard rowing course. Missari was the venue for the 1988 Seoul Olympic rowing regatta.

Rowing in Korea received a huge boost with the 2013 World Rowing Championships. Being a relative fringe sport in the nation the championships brought the sport alive for many more Koreans. Rowing, however, has a relatively long history in the country dating back to 1919 when it was introduced on the Han River that runs trough the capital city, Seoul. The Korean Rowing Association was established in 1962 and two years later the country competed in their first Olympic Games in rowing, Tokyo 1964.

The 2024 World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta will take place 19 – 21 April 2024.