2019 World Rowing Championships

Concept2 was saddened to learn of the tragic drowning of PR1 athlete Dzmitry Ryshkevich (Belarus) during a training session at the World Championships in Linz, Austria. Our condolences to his family, friends and teammates.

The World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria, kicked off the Olympic and Paralympic qualification process for many crews with their sights on Tokyo 2020. 86% of all medal-winning boats at the 2019 World Rowing Championships rowed with Concept2 oars and sculls! Countries race to qualify in each boat class, qualifying the boats, not the athletes. This year's event attracted nearly 1200 competitors from 80 countries, including two outstanding "older" elite competitors of note:

• Olaf Tufte, age 43, stroke seat, men’s quadruple sculls, helped qualify his boat for Norway. Olaf started his rowing career in the 1996 Olympics; Tokyo could be his seventh Olympics. His teammates were all toddlers when he competed in his first Olympics!
• For the US, 2004/2008/2012 Olympic Medalist Caryn Davies, age 37, rowed as a member of the qualifying Women's Four, which could be her fourth Olympics.

It is never too late to start rowing, even as a Masters! Older athletes are proving that fitness can be maintained, and racing and training experience can be valuable assets for a lifelong of competition and racing.

Concept2 was on site at the World Cup series to assist competitors with their oars and sculls. In addition to helping athletes at the World Rowing Championships, earlier in August our team was also at the Junior Rowing World Championships at Tokyo’s Sea Forest Waterway. This regatta served as a trial for the 2020 Olympic venue. As the row2k.com team reports, the salt-water venue is ready with a large boathouse and impressive finish line bridge. Details such as wind, heat and earthquakes are all considerations for the crews.

Matthias Zink on our Regatta Service team says of the Junior Rowing World Championships, "You could see that it was a very special moment for the young athletes to row on the Tokyo 2020 regatta course. The course is well-prepared for the Olympics next year. The Concept2 team was able to prepare in Tokyo with all the tools we need to help teams with Concept2 oar repairs, whether the problems are small or large."

We look forward to an exciting year of racing in preparation for 2020!