A growing sport: para-rowing

Seventy boats overall have entered in the four events on the Paralympic programme: 15 in the AS women’s single sculls, 24 in the AS men’s single sculls, 14 in the TA mixed double sculls and 17 in the LTA mixed coxed four. Previous Paralympic qualification years, the 2007 and 2011 World Rowing Championships, saw 62 boats and 57 boats entered respectively. 

Competition will be fierce as only the eight highest ranking boats in each category will qualify in Aiguebelette for the 2016 Paralympic Games. Next year, at the final Paralympic Qualification Regatta, a further two boats in each event will be given a last chance to qualify.

The Para-Rowing Training Camp held in Gavirate, Italy, can be credited for having played a role in this growing success. The ten-day camp, held from 7 to 17 May, was a combined effort by several stakeholders to encourage the participation of new nations that had not yet participated in para-rowing at World Championship level. Funded by FISA and the Agitos Foundation, the camp was facilitated by the Italian Rowing Federation (FIC) and also received the support of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

No fewer than five athletes in the AS men’s single sculls who attended the camp will line up at their first World Rowing Championships in one week’s time. They come from the Czech Republic, Hong Kong China, Kenya, Lithuania and Mexico. Also, a female Mexican athlete who took part in the camp will race in Aiguebelette at her first World Rowing Championships in the AS women’s single sculls. In the LTA mixed coxed four, Austria will be sending their first para crew to a World Rowing Championships, after having taken part in this spring’s training camp.

In addition to on-water training, strength drills and recovery sessions, the camp’s ten-day programme covered topics such as boat rigging, equipment regulations, athlete selection for the appropriate boat classes, an overview of para-rowing classifications and how to develop a national para-rowing programme.

The Gavirate Rowing Club made its facilities, such as its club house, boat park, gym, catamaran, coaches and boats (including boats recruited from Filippi, FIC and Swift), available to the camp. The club also coordinated all of the activities in the lead up to the camp. Club volunteers also attended to the various needs of the athletes and coaches present.

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The European-based training centre of the Australian Institute of Sport hosted the accommodation, the meals and the seminars.

Paola Grizzetti, an Italy-based member of FISA’s Para Rowing Commission, as well as Shirley Stokes from Australia acted as the main coordinators of the camp.

President of the Italian Rowing Federation, Giuseppe Abbagnale, said: “The Italian Rowing Federation considered it important to help FISA with the Para Rowing Training Camp, in the context of the development programme. In this case we offered the assistance of two coaches who worked in synergy with the Gavirate rowing club which offered facilities and Paola’s experience, helping developing countries to learn training techniques and being involved in the rowing world by participating for the first time in an international regatta. We really hope these developing national federations can bring some new expertise and what they’ve learned to their countries of origin and of course join permanently the world of rowing for the global growth of our sport and, generally, to implement social inclusion, to show how much a disabled person can do giving everyone a better vision of their life.”

During the World Rowing Championships (30 August – 6 September), www.worldrowing.com will publish live results of all para-rowing races and video stream the A and B Finals live on Thursday 3 September.