World's Best Rowers Confirmed for Inaugural World Rowing Shanghai Sprints

The inaugural 2026 World Rowing Shanghai Sprints has assembled one of the strongest fields seen in rowing, with 88 athletes from eight international teams confirmed to compete in the sport’s newest showcase event on 26–27 September. Olympic champions, world champions and rising stars will race head-to-head over 500m in downtown Shanghai. The event introduces a knockout format, prize money, and a festival atmosphere, offering a fresh experience for athletes and sports fans.  

LAUSANNE – Following the announcement of the eight qualified teams in April, World Rowing can now reveal the athletes who will compete in the event’s fast-paced 500m sprint 1-on-1 racing format. The participating teams are the Netherlands, Great Britain, China, Romania, Ireland, United States, Germany, and the World Team. The eight teams were selected based on the 2025 World Rowing Championships medal standings, with China also participating as host nation and the World Team comprised of top athletes from countries that did not qualify a complete team.

All selected athletes have competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 2025 World Rowing Championships, or are set to compete at the 2026 World Rowing Championships. This ensures that the inaugural edition will feature many of the sport’s most accomplished athletes, guaranteeing elite-level racing.

The Stars of Rowing | Meet the Athletes Behind the Shanghai Sprints

The headline athletes headed to Shanghai include Olympic champions Stefanos Ntouskos of Greece and Oliver Zeidler of Germany, two of the most dominant single scullers of recent years. Great Britain’s squad includes World Championship medallists Imogen Grant, Hannah Scott, Heidi Long, and George Bourne, while China’s team features Olympic champions Yunxia Chen and Ling Zhang, who famously helped lead China to victory in the women’s quadruple sculls at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“I’m really excited to race in a new international format at Shanghai Sprints, said World, Olympic and European champion Grant. “Being so close to spectators on the bank will add another level to the racing, and I’m looking forward to putting on a show!”

Introducing the World Team | Rowing’s Global All-Star Crew

Unique to the Shanghai Sprints, the World Team brings together elite athletes from nations that did not qualify a full team, creating an international squad unlike any seen before in World Rowing competition. Representing Greece, Lithuania, New Zealand, France, Serbia, Switzerland and China, the team showcases both the global reach of the sport and the depth of talent beyond the seven qualified nations.

World Team members include World Champion Ntouskos, Lithuanian Olympic medallist Viktorija Senkute, New Zealand’s Benjamin Taylor and Oliver Welch, French athletes Emma Cornelis and Hezekia Peron, Serbian Olympians Martin Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov, Swiss rowers Salome Ulrich and Fabienne Schweizer, and Chinese coxswain Zhiwei Sun. The team is led by two-time World Rowing Coach of the Year  Gianni Postiglione.

Stefanos Ntouskos – the reigning men’s single sculls World Champion and Greece’s first Olympic champion in rowing – heralded the news, saying, “It is exciting to be part of something new for our sport. The Shanghai Sprints will bring together many of the world’s best rowers in a fast, head-to-head format that is different from what we usually race. Competing in the heart of Shanghai will create a fantastic atmosphere and showcase rowing to new audiences.”

Meet the Athletes

World Team: Stefanos Ntouskos (GRE), Viktorija Senkute (LTU), Benjamin Taylor (NZL), Oliver Welch (NZL), Emma Cornelis (FRA), Hezekia Peron (FRA), Martin Mackovic (SRB), Nikolaj Pimenov (SRB), Salome Ulrich (SUI), Fabienne Schweizer (SUI), Zhiwei Sun (CHN, coxswain).

Netherlands: Mats van Sabben, Benthe Boonstra, Finn Florijn, Gert-Jan van Doorn, Linn van Aanholt, Lisa Bruijnincx, Rik Rienks, Roos de Jong, Sander de Graaf, Tinka Offereins, Jonna de Vries (coxswain).

Great Britain: George Bourne, Douwe de Graaf, Cedol Dafydd, Harry Geffen, Callum Dixon, Megan Slabbert, Eleanor Brinkhoff, Imogen Grant, Heidi Long, Hannah Scott, Jack Tottem (coxswain).

China: Ling Zhang, Yunxia Chen, Shuangmei Shen, Xinyu Zhang, Hongshan Zhu, Wanning Ren, Shuxian Zhang, Zhiwei Deng, Xudi Yi, Yide Nie, Xiaotong Liang (coxswain).

Romania: Amalia Chelaru, Magdalena Rusu, Geanina Juncanariu, Cristina Druga, Andrada Morosanu, Ciprian Tudosa, Andrei Mandrila, Claudiu Neamtu, Florin Arteni-Fintinariu, Marian Enache, Victoria Petreanu (coxswain).

Ireland: Team to be confirmed.

United States: Cedar Cunningham, Christopher Carlson, Jacob Plihal, Samuel Melvin, Samuel Sullivan, Teal Cohen, Isabela Darvin, Grace Joyce, Kaitlin Knifton, Sophia Vitas, Coxswain TBD.

Germany: Oliver Zeidler, Tom Graenitz, Felix Heinrich, Theis Hagemeister, Paul Klapperich, Alexandra Foester, Lisa Gutfleisch, Sarah Wibberenz, Tabea Schendekehl, Luise Bachmann, Florian Koch (coxswain).

Shanghai’s City Centre Becomes the Racecourse | Rowing’s New Knockout Spectacle

The World Rowing Shanghai Sprints will bring together 88 athletes across eight teams in a knockout-format regatta staged on a 500m course in the heart of Shanghai. Designed as a new showcase event for the sport, the competition will feature head-to-head racing, prize money, and a festival atmosphere to bring rowing to new audiences.

“The calibre of athletes who have committed to the inaugural World Rowing Shanghai Sprints is a testament to the excitement surrounding this new event,” said World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland. “Bringing together this collection of athletes to the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities creates a stage where elite competition meets the people in an urban setting. This is about more than racing—it is about taking rowing beyond its traditional venues, connecting with new fans, and putting the spotlight directly on our sport.”

Inside the Shanghai Sprints | Major Players Come Together to Make This Possible

Developed in partnership with the China Rowing Association, the Shanghai Administration of Sports, and the Donghao Lansheng Group, organisers of the 2025 World Rowing Championships and the annual Shanghai Marathon, the Shanghai Sprints will form the highlight of the annual Head of Shanghai River Regatta, taking place in the iconic and historic location of downtown Shanghai. The competition is intentionally designed as a fast, media-friendly spectacle, with simple, high-intensity formats that place athletes and storytelling at the forefront.

Each team will field 11 athletes, fully supported by World Rowing and the Organisers through travel, accommodation, equipment, appearance fees and prize money. Teams will race in men’s and women’s single sculls, men’s and women’s double sculls, mixed double sculls, and the mixed eight, showcasing a blend of power, speed and teamwork.