Did you know that the World Rowing Championship is a popular and highly anticipated sports event that encourages the world’s best rowers to compete for the trophy? It is conducted annually, and the prestigious championship showcases the strength, determination, and skill of the competitors participating in the event.
Rowing involves propelling a boat using oars to win the race and can be participated by a group of players or a single player, based on the competition’s format. Rowers race on their boats against their opponents. People from all around the world participate in rowing as a competitive sport and sometimes also as a recreational sport.
The sport calls for physical strength and rigorous training, and the athletes need to be mentally strong too. To gather more information about rowing, how it is played and the various championships, keep scrolling!
As suggested by historical evidence, rowing has been in existence since ancient times. An Egyptian funerary inscription from 1430 BC glorified Amenhotep, a warrior—for his oarsmanship.
In Aeneid, the celebrated Latin epic poem—Virgil, the poet—mentions rowing as an event of the funeral games. Later, in the 13th century, rowing became an important part of the Venetian festivals known as ‘regatta.’
The watermen who were in the profession of providing taxi and ferry service on London’s River Thames—played an instrumental role in introducing modern rowing races. Merchant companies, guilds, and wealthy folks sponsored the races and prizes.
In the 19th century, rowing races gained popularity—and began luring larger crowds. The professionals began rowing in other rivers, and the racing event spread across Great Britain.
In rowing events, rowers commonly use long and narrow boats. The boat’s length varies based on the number of participants. The boats feature semi-circular cross-sections that are responsible for minimizing the drag.
Similarly, the hull’s design aims to harness optimum stability and speed. The boats are typically equipped with a fin at the rear and helps maximize the rudder’s effectiveness.
Initially, manufacturers only made boats using wood, but in modern times, many different materials are combined—like carbon fibers, plastic, and soft cushioning material—to ensure superior quality and safety.
In the Side-by-Side race, the boat that first reaches the touchline becomes the winner. Two to eight boats can participate in this race—and the number may vary. It is also known as a sprint race or regatta. The distance the boats need to cover during the race is not fixed and can vary from tournament to tournament.
In this sporting event, all the boats participating in the race do not start racing together, and they roll out after an interval of 10 to 20 seconds. All the boats are expected to reach a fixed destination, and the distance of the race may vary from 2 km to 12 km. The head race is the most famous and oldest rowing race—held in March—annually on London’s Thames River.
In Bump racing, the participating crew waits at the river bank, at frequent intervals. When the race begins, every boat has to reach a specific destination. During the race, the boats have to avoid bumping into one another. If a boat comes in contact with another one, the one that gets bumped will have to march ahead of the other boats on the following day.
The World Rowing Championship attracts rowing teams from all over the world—to compete in different rowing disciplines and classes. The championship holds competitions for men as well as women, including double sculls, single sculls, quadruple sculls, pairs, fours, and eights.
The World Rowing Championships venue changes—it is conducted by different countries every year.
To participate in the Olympic Games, rowers have to participate in the World Rowing Championship—which serves as a vital qualification event. Rowers who perform brilliantly at the Championships can secure a place in the national Olympic teams.
