2025 World Rowing Championships: Para Crews to Watch

Just over a year after the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the 2025 World Rowing Championships brings together the top para rowers in Shanghai, China.

Here are the crews to watch.

PR1 Men’s Single Sculls (PR1 M1x)

Entries: 12
Reigning world champion: Roman Polianskyi (UKR)
Reigning Paralympic champion: Benjamin Pritchard (GBR)

Once again this year, the focus in the PR1 men’s single sculls will be on the three ‘Ps’: Paralympic and European champion Benjamin Pritchard (Great Britain), world champion Roman Polianskyi (Ukraine), and world and European medallist Giacomo Perini (Italy). The shifting fortunes of these three scullers has lit up the men’s event lately, and looks like it will continue to do so in Shanghai. Pritchard was blisteringly fast at the 2025 European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, putting plenty of clear water between himself and Polianskyi; it was closer for silver and bronze, with the Ukrainian prevailing.

But, as usual, Australia’s Erik Horrie will likely have a say in the result. With Pritchard missing on medical grounds and Polianskyi sitting out both World Rowing Cups, Horrie took gold in Varese and Lucerne, beating Perini on home water in the first regatta. He will certainly be among those contending for a medal. In the rest of the experienced field, Alexis Sanchez (France) stands out – the youngest competitor at 27 years old, Sanchez often starts fast and if he can maintain his early-race speed could also challenge.

PR1 Women’s Single Sculls (PR1 W1x)

Entries: 7
Reigning world champion: Birgit Skarstein (NOR)
Reigning Paralympic champion: Moran Samuel (ISR)

None of the Paralympic medallists are racing in Shanghai, opening up the way for other competitors in the PR1 women’s single sculls. Whoever wins will be a first-time world champion. Ukrainian Anna Sheremet is certainly the hot favourite, with two world bronze medals already under her belt as well as the European title from Plovdiv earlier this year.

Claire Ghiringhelli continues to make para-rowing history; after being the first para-rower to represent Switzerland at a Paralympic Games last year, she won her first World Rowing Cup medals this season with bronze in Varese and gold in Lucerne. A World Rowing Championships medal would be another step in her development. South Korea’s Kim Sejeong, Poland’s Zofia Seweryn, and Tunisian Ahlem Jeddi could all also be in contention, while debutante Shao Shasha (China) is the unknown quantity in the field.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x)

Entries: 10
Reigning world champions: Lauren Rowles, Gregg Stevenson (GBR)
Reigning Paralympic champions: Lauren Rowles, Gregg Stevenson (GBR)

There is no British entry in the PR2 mixed double sculls this year, with the reigning champions both having announced their retirements. That opens up the field for new world champions. However, the Paralympic silver and bronze medallists, China and Israel, are competing; China’s Liu Shuang and Jiang Jijian starting for the first time since they took silver in Paris.

So far this season, wins have gone to Germany’s Jasmina Bier and Paul Umbach at the 2025 European Rowing Championships, ahead of Ukraine and Israel; and to Brazil ahead of Mexico at the 2025 World Rowing Cup Varese. This event was not raced in Lucerne, but Ireland’s new combination of Sabhbh Ni Laoghaire and Tiarnan O’Donnell did compete, racing up in the PR3 event. Ukraine’s Iaroslav Kouida is the only former world champion in this event who is racing, but France’s Perle Bouge has the most medals to her name. She teams up this time with Alexis Sanchez, who is doubling up in the PR1 men’s single sculls.

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls (PR3 Mix2x)

Entries: 14
Reigning world champions: Nikki Ayers, Jed Altschwager (AUS)
Reigning Paralympic champions: Nikki Ayers, Jed Altschwager (AUS)

Paralympic and world champions Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager have handed their mantle on to Lisa Greissl and Sam Stunell this season, and the Australians made a solid start with second place at both World Rowing Cups. They were defeated in Varese and Lucerne by Germany, but it is a different German combination who will race in Shanghai. European champions Kathrin Marchand and Valentin Luz emerged triumphant from a tight domestic selection battle against Paralympic bronze medallists Jan Helmich and Hermine Krumbein, and that could arguably make them the favourites in Shanghai.

But they face stiff competition. As well as Australia, there are the British Paralympic and European silver medallists, Samuel Murray and Annabel Caddick, and European bronze medallists Dariia Kotyk and Stanislav Samoliuk (Ukraine). Experienced racers Diana Barcelos (Brazil) and Laurent Cadot (France) are both entered with new partners for this event, Valdeni da Silva Junior and Eva David respectively.

PR3 Mixed Coxed Four (PR3 Mix4+)

Entries: 8
Reigning world champions: Francesca Allen, Morgan Fice-Noyes, Giedre Rakauskaite, Edward Fuller, Erin Kennedy (c) (GBR)
Reigning Paralympic champions: Francesca Allen, Giedre Rakauskaite, Joshua O’Brien, Edward Fuller, Erin Kennedy (c) (GBR)

As in past seasons, the question must be asked: can anyone wrestle the PR3 mixed coxed four title from Great Britain? Their Paralympic gold in Paris extended the unbeaten streak in this event to 14 years, and the same four rowers – Francesca Allen, Giedre Rakauskaite, Joshua O’Brien and Edward Fuller – are back together for 2025. This time, they are coxed by Tom Bryce, who recently became a three-time under 23 world champion in the men’s eight, as Erin Kennedy is taking a medical leave of absence.

This event has only been raced once this season, at 2025 World Rowing Cup Varese, where Brazil claimed a brilliant gold ahead of the USA. The USA has made one change to that silver-medal winning crew, and also has two Paralympic silver medallists on board, coxswain Emelie Eldracher and stroke Ben Washburne. Germany are also fielding a strong boat, with three members of their Paralympic crew that finished fourth in a photofinish joined by PR3 mixed double sculls bronze medallist Hermine Krumbein and newcomer Philipp Dosse. Kathrin Marchand is doubling up from the PR3 mixed double sculls.

Among the rest of the field, Canada are an entirely unknown quantity, with all five athletes making their international debuts – adding to the depth of the para-rowing scene.