Rowers to Watch - 2025 World Rowing Indoor Championships, presented by Concept2 (500m)

The 2025 World Rowing Indoor Championships, presented by Concept2 are right around the corner, taking place this coming weekend, 15-16 February, and next weekend, 22-23 February. Over 1600 athletes have qualified for the Continental Knockout Heats from the World Open Heats, making this the largest entries for a virtual World Rowing Indoor Championships.

The first weekend will feature the 500m races across all age and weight categories, as well as the endurance (5000m) relays. Here are the rowers to watch.

Men’s 500m

Number of entries: 334
50th fastest time in World Open Heats: 1:20.1

The entire 23-39 podium from 2024 will be competing this year – Joonas Kuivalainen (FIN), Thomas Wilson (GBR), and Chris Scott (GBR). Kuivalainen posted the fastest overall time in 2024, a 1:13.2, but will surely face steep competition from Wilson, who goes in with the fastest qualifying time overall – 1:13.2 – and from Spyridon Kalentzis (GRE), who recently set a new 500m record in the men’s 19-29 age category: 1:10.3.

The winner of the 2023 and 2024 World Rowing Versa Challenges, Joel Naukkarinen of Finland, will be back to trying his hand at single distances, after winning the title of most versatile indoor rowers the past two years. He heads into the Continental Knockout Heats with a qualifying time in 1:14.2.

Women’s 500m

Number of entries: 172
50th fastest time in World Open Heats: 1:38.5

The two overall fastest women from 2024 go into this year’s competition with identical qualification times of 1:30.8; Radka Jirikovska of Czechia, who won the 40-44 women’s 500m, and Var Guriardottir Hansen of Denmark, who won the 21-22 women’s 500m, but are currently ranked fourth.

Rachel Fisher (GBR), Patricia Batista (POR), and Nour Drissi Hassani (MAR) all posted faster qualification times and will be looking to maintain those positions in further rounds of racing.

It would also be hard to overlook Doris Meinbek of Estonia, who is a 5x World Rowing Indoor Champion and 3x European Rowing Indoor Champion. She won the 19-20 women’s 500m last year in 1:31.0, and a 2.5 second lead over second place.

Lightweight Men’s 500m

Number of entries: 88
50th fastest time in World Open Heats: 1:33.6

Two Egyptian athletes go into the Continental Knockout Heats with the fastest qualifying times for lightweight men – Adham Maghoub with a 1:22.7, and Mohamed Zakarya ElDesouky with a 1:23.0. Maghoub is the 2022 Lightweight Men’s Under 23 500m Champion.

Finland’s Joonas Makipelto, the 2022 World Rowing Indoor Champion in the Lightweight Men’s 30-39 500m, is hot on their heels with a targeted race time of 1:22.5.

Lightweight Women’s 500m

Number of entries: 65
50th fastest time in World Open Heats: 1:54.7

All three medallists from last year’s lightweight women’s 23-39 500m will be returning this year, but it’s the bronze medallist, Nourelhouda Arafa of Egypt, who goes in with the fastest qualifying time out of the three (1:38.8). Finland’s Pernilla Bockerman has the fastest overall qualifying time for lightweight women, with a 1:38.1.

Two Iranian athletes go in with the fastest time for the Asia/Oceania Continental zones, with youngster Saghi Maleki, who is only 20, posting a 1:39.0.

Para M 500m

All three medallists from the PR3 men’s 500m race from last year will be competing this year. The reigning World Indoor Champion, and World Record holder, Milan Lackovic of Slovakia, has the fastest qualifying time (1:25.1) and will certainly be the favourite. Hot on his heels, will be Mijail Pedrini of Uruguay, and the two frenchmen, Hugo Barbotin and Florian Canolle. Marko Frank of Italy, who raced at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, will also be in the mix for a medal.

Para W 500m

Six competitors will be on the start line, but quite a quality field. Elur Alberdi of France was a World Champion in the PR3 Mixed Double Sculls in 2022, and has the fastest qualifying time by almost 10 seconds. Can anyone beat her? Maybe Eva Mol of the Netherlands, who bursted onto the international scene in 2023 and almost qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

M 5000m Relay

Number of entries: 5

The 5000m M Relay will see 5 teams competing… and an Olympic Champion! Rory Gibbs, who won a gold medal in Paris last year with Great Britian in the men’s eight, will be racing with his team, “New Wave Crossfit” and the fastest qualifying time (13:08.4). They will face a few elite rowers, in Joel Naukkarinen and his “Team Finland”, but also Ali Hassan and the “Egyptian Rowing Federation” team, that will look to secure a medal in this event.

W 5000m Relay

Number of entries: 3

Three teams will be competing in this one. The fastest qualifying team went to “Golden Horseshoe Rowing”, a crew that contains former Versa challenge participant, and Beach sprint regular, Sarah Pidgen of Canada. They have qualified with a substantial faster time than the other crews and will certainly be the favorites to win it all.