Europe’s top rowers head for Lucerne, Switzerland next week to compete at the 2019 European Rowing Championships. The regatta takes place from 31 May – 2 June.
The regatta has attracted representation from 36 member federations, tied for the record, with a near record of just under 600 athletes entered. Both Great Britain and Germany are sending the biggest teams with boats in 16 of the 17 boat classes. Italy and the Netherlands also have large teams with 15 boat classes covered.
The 2018 World Champion and Rio 2016 bronze medallist Kjetil Borch of Norway steps out for the first time this season in the men’s single sculls. He will face winner of 2019 World Rowing Cup I and Rio 2016 silver medallist, Damir Martin of Croatia. The large men’s single field includes rowers from 25 nations with Rio 2016 bronze and London 2012 silver Olympic medallist Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic also in the mix.
On the women’s side, home favourite Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland will be the one to beat. Gmelin is the reigning European Champion but she will face two Olympic medallists in the single, Mirka Topinkova Knapkova of the Czech Republic, gold medallist at London 2012 and Denmark’s Fie Udby Erichsen, silver medallist at London. Also entered is World Rowing Cup I winner, Lisa Scheenaard of the Netherlands.
The men’s double sculls has attracted a large field with World Champions France racing for the first time since their 2018 championship win. Hugo Boucheron and Matthieu Androdias are back together and they will face the new German combination of Stephan Krueger and Tim Ole Naske as well as World Rowing Cup I bronze medallists Stanislau Shcharbachenia and Dzianis Mihal of Belarus.
Romania finished at the top of the medals table at last year’s European Championships and they come to Lucerne with 11 crews including their defending European Champion women’s eight.
Racing begins on Friday 31 May at 9:30 CET with heats. The races will then progress through repechages, semifinals and finals that begin at 10:03 CET on Sunday 2 June. The finals will be live-streamed on www.worldrowing.com.
Courtesy of World Rowing
