2025 World Rowing Indoor Championships Qualification

Qualifications for next year’s World Rowing Indoor Championship (WRICH) are currently underway, so do not miss out on your chance to be part of a global event run by an Olympic federation. 

The 2025 WRICH will be a fully virtual event that brings together elite athletes, amateurs, and fitness enthusiasts to compete in an online environment in real time. It is an opportunity to showcase where you are compared to other rowers while aiming for medals and official rankings in your age category. 

The WRICH begins with the World Open Heats which is open to all. Event categories include 500m sprints and 2000m races as well as new endurance and sprint Relay categories. You have until the end of January 20 to submit a qualifying time for your chosen event(s), which can be done at the World Rowing Entry Site. 

After the close of the World Open Heats, all the times will be consolidated into overall Men’s and Women’s rankings for Open Weight and Lightweight as well as para rankings per sport class, and rankings for each relay category. 

The top 150 competitors for each gender and weight category per continental time zone will qualify, while additionally, the top ten from every age category, who are not already through, will also qualify for their category.  

The grand finals of WRICH will span two weekends in February 2025. February 15 and 16 will be for the 500m and Endurance Relays, while February 22 and 23 will be for the 2000m and Sprint Relays.  

Each weekend will start on Saturday with the Continental Knockout Heats, where participants race in their continental time zone, so that all participants from around the world can race at a time that suits them. 

From the Continental Knockout Heats, the top 50 times in each gender and weight category will move on to the Elimination Semi-Finals. From here, the top 20 times from the Elimination Semi-Finals will earn the right to compete in the Grand Finals on Sunday. The Sunday finals will be broadcast live during European evening hours and should provide a dramatic climax to the weekend. 

Following the racing, all athletes will receive an official World Rowing, Continental, and Age group ranking. Based on rankings, medals will be awarded to the top 3 in all age groups plus medals for the ultimate Grand Final medallists. 

For more information, visit the World Rowing website. 

The plan is for the 2026 World Rowing Indoor Championships to return to being an in-venue event. The selection process for the host nation is currently taking place.