Crews to watch at the 2024 Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta

The beautiful Rotsee in Lucerne, Switzerland will host the 2024 World Rowing Final Olympic & Paralympic Qualification Regatta. For the first time ever, Paralympic boat classes are run as a combined event with the Olympic boat classes. There are five Paralympic boat classes being contested and across those categories, a total of 36 boats will race for just seven tickets to Paris.

Ahead of racing beginning on Sunday, we take a look at the possible crews to watch.

PR1 women’s single sculls (PR1 W1x)

Entries: 8

Qualification Places: 1

With just one slot available, this boat class is expected to be fiercely competitive. All eyes will be on Sweden’s Ebba Einarsson, who finished second at the qualification regatta ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics, missing out on securing a place; she will undoubtedly be out for revenge. Einarsson narrowly missed out on securing the spot at the European Qualification regatta a few weeks ago in Szeged, so will try again in Lucerne. Another sculler to watch out for is Denmark’s Karina Lauridsen, who finished just behind Einarsson in Szeged. And it would be impossible to rule out Paralympian Brenda Sardon from Argentina who finished eighth in this boat class in Tokyo.

PR1 men’s single sculls (PR1 M1x)

Entries: 9

Qualification Places: 1

The bronze medallist from Tokyo is yet to qualify! Brazil’s Rene Campos Pereira will be hoping to travel to his third Paralympic games in 2024, but he’ll need to overcome eight other entrants to do so. Mexican Michel Munoz Malagon also raced in Tokyo and will be looking to take the single qualification place for Paris available in Lucerne. Keep an eye out for the Czech athlete, Tomas Nevecny who came third in the European Qualification Regatta earlier this month, and will be looking to step on in Lucerne.

PR2 mixed double sculls (PR2 Mix2x)

Entries: 8

Qualification Places: 2

This boat class sees more Paralympians from Tokyo who are yet to qualify. The boats from Brazil, France and the USA all contain one rower with experience from the last Paralympic Games, but they are new combinations and all hoping to take one of two places for Paris. Will it be one of those boats or perhaps one of the boats we saw race at the European Rowing Championships a few weeks ago. On that occasion, France were fourth whereas the German boat that will come to Lucerne came second. This could be an exciting boat class to follow!

PR3 mixed double sculls (PR3 Mix2x)

Entries: 5

Qualification Places: 1

2024 will be the first time that this boat class has been raced at the Paralympic Regatta. With eight boats already qualified, competition is likely to be tough in Lucerne as the five crews battle it out for just one place. The boat class sees many athletes who have moved across from the PR3 mixed coxed four, having raced in that boat in Tokyo. Both the Italian and Ukrainian line-ups raced at the European Rowing Championships a few weeks ago, so have pedigree, but it would be impossible to rule out the Brazilian crew which was the same line-up that the final at last year’s World Rowing Championships – which none of the other crews did.

PR3 mixed coxed four (PR3 Mix4+)

Entries: 6

Qualification Places: 2

This field is fairly wide open. Italy and Spain finished third and fourth respectively at the European Rowing Championships (behind Great Britain and France, who have already qualified), but both boats contain one different rower to the line-up fielded in Szeged. The Italian crew will be coxed by Enrico D’aniello who, aged 28, has already had an incredible career coxing crews to international medals at Under 19, Under 23, and Senior levels. In 2016, he steered the Italian men’s eight to the third qualification place at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, and will be hoping to do the same for his country again this time!