Athlete Entries Confirmed for 2026 World Rowing Under 19 Championships in Plovdiv

Athlete entries are in for the World Rowing Under 19 Championships, as Plovdiv prepares to host its second major international regatta of the year after staging World Rowing Cup II in June.

A strong field of 660 athletes (367 men, 293 women) from 55 nations will race for world medals across 14 boat classes from 6 to 9 August.

The men’s double sculls is the biggest field of the regatta, with 33 crews entered. Rowing’s blue-ribbon boats, the Men’s and Women’s Eight, promise similarly close racing: nine crews line up in the men’s event, including Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Romania, and the United States, while five contest the women’s race: Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Romania and the United States. Those same four nations minus Great Britain — Germany, Italy, Romania and the United States — will also go head-to-head in the Mixed Eight.

Check out the Athlete Entries here.

About the Venue

Set in one of rowing’s most established international venues, the regatta course in Plovdiv is an artificial canal stretching 2,300 metres. Specially designed by architect Valentin Marinov, in close collaboration with chief consultant and Olympic Champion Svetla Otzetova, the course meets the highest standards for staging major water sport events. Its location has been precisely selected to be surrounded by natural forest, ensuring fair and equal conditions across all lanes, while the east–west orientation aligns with prevailing winds to provide consistently balanced racing.

The 2026 World Rowing Under 19 Championships mark the ninth time Plovdiv has hosted a World Rowing event, a list that includes the 2018 World Rowing Championships. Last year, Plovdiv held its second European Rowing Championships.

16-Strong Squad Represents Bulgaria in Home Waters

The host nation will be well represented with 16 athletes across six boat classes, including 16-year-old Stoichko Stoichkov and 17-year-old Daniel Petkov, who are coming off an eighth-place finish at the 2026 European Rowing Under 19 Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, in the men’s double sculls.

About the World Rowing Under 19 Championships

The 2026 World Rowing Under 19 Championships are the 59th edition of the event, with the first edition taking place in 1967 at Küchensee, Ratzeburg, Germany. Bulgaria has hosted the U19 Championships four times previously: Pantcharevo/Sofia in 1981, and Plovdiv in 1999 and 2021, making 2026 the third time Plovdiv has hosted this event.

Rowers must be 18 years of age or under to compete at the World Rowing Under 19 Championships. A rower is eligible to compete in the Under 19 category until 31 December of the year in which he or she reaches the age of 18; after that date, the rower advances to the Under 23 category.

At last year’s U19 Championships in Trakai, Lithuania, Great Britain topped the medal table with seven medals (four gold, two silver, one bronze). Greece and Germany tied on two golds apiece; Greece took the runner-up spot on the strength of an additional silver (two gold, one silver, one bronze, four medals total), with Germany third on four bronzes (six medals total). The United States, Romania, Ireland and Poland also won world U19 titles in Trakai.

How to Follow

Live race tracker, live video streaming, results, race reports, photo gallery and live blog will be available throughout the regatta on www.worldrowing.com, as well as updates on Instagram, Facebook and X. Live video streaming will be available on worldrowing.com and our YouTube channel for all days of racing.