Records fall and Champions crowned during 2026 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships, presented by Concept2

The Finals of the 2026 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships, presented by Concept2 took place this Saturday, 28 February. Racing from their own homes or clubs around the world, competitors were all connected virtually through their Concept2 indoor rowing machines.

Rewatch the full Finals here.

Lightweight Women’s 1-minute

It was Ukraine’s Kseniia Zinchecnko and Individual Neutral Athlete Tatiana Melamed who posted the best distance in the heats – 321 metres. Tatiana Melamed came out on top in the Final, posting a distance of 323 metres. Great Britain’s Jillian Tovey and Argentina’s Carolina Leonhardt tied for second with 321 metres.

Lightweight Men’s 1-minute

Ireland’s Kenneth McDonald set the standard in the first Finals race of the Lightweight Men’s 1-minute: 373 metres, which is also a new age category record (Lightweight men 50-54) for McDonald. In the following race, Pakistani athlete Mohammad Abdul Rehman went 377m, with Luca Delval of France and Youssef Abdelaziz of Egypt tying at 374m. It was them Joonas Makipelto of Finland in the last race who stomped ahead with 381m, claiming the World Rowing Indoor Champion title, and knocking McDonald off the podium.

Women’s 1-minute

Var Guriardottir Hansen of Denmark has made herself the one to beat in the sprint distance on the indoor rowing machine. After beating the overall women’s 1-minute record at the World Rowing Versa Challenge in November with 366m, she set the event standard during last weekend’s Heats with a 365m. Leading from start to finish in today’s finals, she broke her own record with a result of 368m. Sweden’s Irmelin Olsson and Finland’s Kees Karpatskij both finished with 357 metres to tie for silver.

Men’s 1-minute

Last weekend’s heats in the men’s 1-minute race provided a treat for spectators – a showdown between Denmark’s Thomas Vinther and Italy’s Andrea Panizza – in who could take the top spot going into the Finals. Vinther came out on top, with a new age category record: 434metres. A feat he repeated again today, finishing in 435metres, to equal the men’s overall record and become the first ever World Rowing Indoor Champion in the Men’s 1-minute. Panizza finished second with 428 metres, followed by a four-way tie for bronze by Anders Edquist of Sweden, Joonas Kuivalainen of Finland, Hannes Loerwald of Germany, and Spyridon Kalentzis of Greece, all with 422m.

Indoor Adaptive

World Rowing trialed new Indoor Adaptive categories during the event. Indoor Adaptive Rowing categories 1 to 7 were offered for men and women in the 1-minute and 1000m races. First, second, and third in each race category will be awarded medals, given they beat at least one other competitor. More details on IAR categories can be found here.

Lightweight Women’s 5000m

Sarita Kristina Hansen of Denmark was the early leader, quickly being chased by Jillian Tovey of Great Britain. By halfway, it was the young Elena Chevrier Da Costa of Portugal who had taken the lead and was expanding it. Going into the last 1000m, Chevrier Da Costa had a 130m lead over Tovey. Chevrier Da Costa took gold in 18:59.5, Tovey took silver in 19:31.5, and Hansen bronze in 19:35.8.

Lightweight Men’s 5000m

Hungary’s Tamas Bence got the early lead in the Lightweight Men’s 5000m. Czechia’s Vaclav Valek, who had posted the fastest times in the Heats, sat comfortable further back in the pack, and slowly made his way up to the front as the race progressed. Valek surpassed Bence, finishing first in 16:48.5. Bence finished second in 16:51.6, and Spain’s Jesus Gonzalez Alvarez claimed bronze in 16:54.3.

Women’s 5000m

Ukraine’s Mariia Robul got the early lead off start, but Estonia’s Terje Leola and Spain’s Mara Angeles Macian took over and were fighting for the lead by the 1000m. By the 2500m, it was still Leola and Angeles Macian who were out front. Lina Belanger of Canada, who had posted the fastest time in the Heats, sat back in third. But by the 1500m to go, it was Belanger who was  pushing her way into the fight for first, and taking that lead. With 1000m to go, it was Belanger with a 20m lead over Leola and Angeles Macian, who were still in a fight for second. Belanger took gold in 18:21.7, Angeles Macian beating Leola to the line for silver in 18:32.4, and Leola settling for bronze in 18:34.2.

Men’s 5000m

Benjamin Reuter of Germany and Tomasz Cichocki of Poland were the only ones to post sub 16minute times in the Heats, and made it known off the start in the Final. Cichocki, who was 4 seconds off of Reuter in the Heats, lead Reuter through to the 4250, but Reuter had been slowly closing the gap. Reuter pulled ahead by the 500m to go, and was lengthening his lead going into the finish. Artem Zhakarov of Ukraine sat solidly in third for the whole race. Reuter finished first in 15:39.3, Cichocki second in 15:45.8, and Zhakarov third in 15:56.2.

Lightweight Women’s 1000m

It was Peru’s Valeria Palacios who was out first and had the early lead ahead of Meriam Mamieliekova of Ukraine and Martyna Radosz of Poland. Coming through the 400 to go, it was Radosz who pulled ahead, with Mamieliekova and Palacios always in medal contention. Radosz took gold in 3:22.6, Mamieliekova took silver in 3:23.6, and it was Portugal’s Ines Oliveira who snuck in to the line ahead of Valeria Palacios in 3:24.4.

Lightweight Men’s 1000m

Although Andre Dias of Portugal had only posted the second fastest time in the Heats, he was the only competitor to break the 3minute mark in the final, earning him gold in a time of 2:59.8. Ales Manuel Papacek of Czechia finished second in 3:03.4, and Markus Ilmarinen of Finland finished third in 3:04.0.

Women’s 1000m

Sophie Souwer of Italy set off like a rocket to lead the first half of the women’s 1000m final. Adelle Ader, who had posted the fastest time in the heats, was following closely. Through the 500, Ader picked up her pace to overtake Souwer. Elizabeth Gilmore, who had been sitting further back, was slowly making her way through the field. She managed to overtake Souwer in the last few metres. Adelle Ader finished first in a time of 3:09.4, Gilmore second in 3:13.9, and Souwer third in 3:14.3.

Men’s 1000m

Thomas Vinther of Denmark got out first ahead of the World Record holder Andrea Panizza of Italy, who set the 2:38.0 standard earlier this week. Lukas Rucken of Germany was sitting in third. Panizza was leading with a solid 12m through the 500m. Both he and Vinther were widening the gap on Rucken, who was being also being chased by Seyed Mohammadhossein Salehi of Iran. Panizza finished first in 2:38.9, Vinther second in 2:41.6, and Salehi beat Rucken to the line for third in a time of 2:44.6.

Find all results for the 2026 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships, presented by Concept2 here.