With a little over two years to go until racing gets underway at the Paris 2024 Games, some of the world’s best rowers tested out the state-of-the-art Stade Nautique Olympique venue earlier this July. France’s first dedicated International Para-Rowing regatta attracted rowers from Canada, France, Great Britain, Israel, Norway, Poland and Ukraine, as well as a number of rowers from French clubs aiming to line up beside the Paralympic greats.

Racing Highlights

The racing over two days included some of the sport of rowing’s best para-athletes such as Norway’s unbeatable Birgit Skarstein, Ukraine’s legendary Roman Polianskyi, and France’s power duo Perle Bouge and Stephane Tardieu among many others.

Highlights from the second day of racing include Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion sculler claim gold in the PR1 women’s singles ahead of Anna Sheremet of Ukraine in a repeat of their finish order at World Cup II in Poznan just a few weeks before. France’s Claire Franson finished third ahead of two time Paralympic medalist Moran Samuel of Israel.

In the PR1 men’s singles, Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard, Tokyo 2020 finalist and current PR1 indoor rowing world record holder, finished first ahead of Ukrainian sculler, Roman Polianskyi, back-to-back Paralympic champion (2016 and 2020). as well as 2020.

The PR2 singles saw some more big names take to the water with Great Britain’s Lauren Rowles finishing first in the women’s event with two-time paralympic medalist Perle Bouge of France and Ukraine’s Svitlana Bohuslavska finishing third. The men’s race went to Tokyo silver medalist and four-time World Champion Marinus Corné de Koning of the Netherlands while silver went to Stephane Tardieu, 11 times French singles champion and two-time Paralympic medalist with Bouge in the PR2 doubles.

Find full results for day 1 here and day 2 here.

Birgit Skarstein of Norway – photo Anthony Benoit – www.aesthetic-sport.com

A Successful Test

“We have received very positive feedback from the international participants,” says Frédéric Andolfi, president of the regional rowing association and organising committee. “They took advantage of the venue, practicing and competing at the Olympic stadium.”

Besides being an opportunity “to let the national teams practice in the Olympic stadium, two years before the Games in Paris,” it was also a chance for France to hold a world-class para rowing event, says Andolfi. Additionally, it was a chance “to give experience to our volunteers in order to get them ready for the next big events and to promote rowing as an inclusive sport.”

Even with all the success of rowing stars like Bouge, Stephane and others on the world stage, Andolfi hopes that the regatta and the Paralympics in two years time will help to grow para rowing even more within France. “The French national sports organisations and local governments are making a lot of effort to finance recruitment actions and provide specific equipment,” he says.

Olympic Venue

Located just west of Paris on the Île de Lorsirs on the River Marne, Lac de Vaires-sur-Marne will play host to both Olympic and Paralympic regattas in 2024 as well as the canoe and kayak events. The site is significant as the neve centre for rowing in France’s most populous region, Île de France, which includes Paris itself. “Vaire sur Marne stadium is the rowing headquarters for the Île de France Rowing Associations including a centre of excellence for our bets regional U19 and U23 rowers,” says Andolfi. It is also “one of the main sites for controlling the French National team progress with the 2024 Games as the target.”

Besides the Olympic and Paralympic regattas in 2024, the Stade Nautique Olympique will host another International Para Rowing Regatta in July 2023 and the World Rowing Under 19 Championships in August 2023.

Be sure to follow World Rowing and check the website for updates on these events as well as future stories about the venue and history of Olympic rowing in France as Paris prepares to host the Games for the third time in history.

Photos thanks to Anthony Benoit – www.aesthetic-sport.com

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