Racing for the 2025 World Championships begins on Sunday September 21, in Shanghai, China. Here are our previews for the Para events.
Photo UKR PR1 M1x
PR1 Women’s Single Sculls
Ukraine’s two-time Paralympian, Anna Sheremet, is the favourite for the World title. Sheremet made her debut in 2018, aged 17, and has consistently been in and around the podium places ever since. At the major championships she was often beaten by the likes of Norway’s Birgit Skarstein and Israel’s Moran Samuel, the respective Tokyo and Paris Paralympic Champions. No more?
The Paralympic powerhouse that is Skartein, Norway’s six-time World Champion, called time on her rowing career after winning silver in Paris, and Paralympic Champion Samuel will also be absent from Shanghai.
With the Paris medallists out of the equation Sheremet, who placed fourth in Paris, started the 2025 with a massive win in Plovdiv: claiming her European title with over half-a-minute’s lead on the next quickest sculler.
Switzerland’s Claire Ghiringhelli, who won gold in Lucerne and European bronze in Plovdiv, is well placed to dominate the race for the minor medals. Of the remaining five scullers Tunisia’s Ahlem Jeddi, who made her debut and won bronze in Lucerne, could be in contention for the last spot on the podium.
Photo UKR PR1 W1x
PR1 Men’s Single Sculls
Two-time Team GB athlete Benjamin Pritchard is the favourite for gold in Shanghai, but there are plenty of poachers ready to pounce should Pritchard show complacency. It will be the first time the three Paris medallists have raced since the Paralympics.
A step change in performance last year enabled Pritchard to dominate the PR1 men’s single sculls. The Paris Paralympic Champion started the 2025 season by winning a European gold medal in Plovdiv. The Welshman’s World Cup plans went awry in Varese, Italy, when he withdrew from the heat for medical reasons.
Australia’s three-time Paralympic medallist Erik Horrie capitalised on Pritchard’s absence, winning gold at both World Cups, the first of which saw him beat Italy’s silver medallist Giacomo Perini on home water. Despite finishing third in the Paris final Perini was disqualified for having a mobile phone in his boat: it was Horrie who was promoted from fourth to the bronze medal spot.
Another threat to Pritchard is his good friend and Paris silver medallist Roman Polianskyi. Ukraine’s two-time Paralympic Champion (Rio and Tokyo) won European silver in Plovdiv, which was his last race since arriving in Shanghai.
If Pritchard delivers gold then the minor medals will likely be fought over by Ukraine, Italy, and Australia. Other scullers to watch include Germany’s Marcus Klemp, Mexico’s Varese medallist Michel Munoz Malagon, Brazil’s Tokyo medallist Campos Pereira, and the Frenchman Alexis Sanchez who won silver in Lucerne.
Photo GBR PR1 M1x
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls
Great Britain are the reigning PR2 Mix2x Olympic and World Champions, but Team GB’s Lauren Rowles and Gregg Stevenson have called time on their rowing career so there will be new champions crowned in Shanghai.
Chinese supporters will hope two-time Paralympic medallists Liu Shang and Jiang Jijian can step up to the mark. The Chinese double, who won bronze in Tokyo and silver in Paris, did not compete on the international circuit this season. If Shang and Jijian are to win gold in Shanghai they will need to overcome the Israeli Paris bronze medallists.
Shahar Milfelder and Saleh Shahin (ISR) have only raced once since Paris, at the 2025 Europeans where they finished in third place, behind winners Germany (Jasmina Bier and Paul Umbach) and Ukraine. Iaroslav Kouida (UKR) is a former champion in this boat class, winning the 2022 Worlds, he teamed up with Anna Aisanova in the 2024 season and finished fourth in Paris.
Other contenders include the Brazil’s Gessyca Guerra and Tokyo Paralympian Michel Gomes Pessanha, who won the Varese World Cup. Ireland’s Sadhbh ni Laoghaire makes her international debut, she is racing with Paris Paralympian Tiarnan O’Donnell, who won the PR2 M1x in Varese.
The French have pooled their athletic resources with Alexis Sanchez doubling up between the PR2 mixed double and the PR1 men’s single sculls. He will partner the highly experienced medal winner Perle Bouge.
Photo MEX PR2 Mix2x
PR3 Mixed Double Sculls
More vacancies are to be filled in the PR3 mixed double sculls, an event that made its Paralympic debut in Paris last year. Paralympic and World Champions Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager have hung up their oars. So far this season, Germany has taken up the mantle.
At the Europeans Valentin Luz and Kathrin Marchand won gold, handily dispatching Great Britain’s Paris silver medallists Samuel Murray and Annabel Caddick. While it was Paralympic bronze medallists Jan Helmich and Hermine Krumbein, who secured gold for Germany ahead of the new Aussie double (Lisa Greissl and Sam Stunell) in Varese and Lucerne. Luz and Machland won the German berth to Shanghai.
Of the 14 PR3 mixed double sculls entries, it is these three nations that are most likely to be eyeing a podium spot: but Ukraine, Brazil, and France all have the potential to cause an upset should the opportunity present itself.
Chinese fans will be cheering for Shen Yingli, who makes her international debut alongside Feng Xuebin.
Photo PR3 Mix2x medallists at the 2025 World Rowing Cup Varese.
PR3 Mixed Coxed Four
There are eight mixed coxed fours competing in Shanghai. Great Britain has a stranglehold over this boat class, unbeaten since 2010. The line-up has changed over the years but the Shanghai crew is almost identical to the one that won Paralympic gold in Paris, albeit with three-time under 23 World Champion cox Tom Bryce in for Erin Kennedy. With the exception of Josh O’Brien, who won a PR3 men’s pair bronze medal in Varese with Connor Smith, the British have not raced since Paris.
Brazil could be a dark horse in this event. They upturned the form guide by beating preliminary race winners USA in Varese this season, behind these two crews Italy finished in third place and Spain were last. Since Varese the USA have tweaked their line-up.
The Americans will certainly be targeting a podium finish. Consistent runners up to the British, they are Paralympic silver medallists in Paris, Tokyo, and Rio. Of the Paris crew only stroke Ben Washburne and cox Emelie Eldracher will race in Shanghai. Their teammates Max Allemeier, Annabelle Miller, and Eli Margolin are new recruits this season.
Germany are another strong crew with medal-winning ambitions. They won a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships, and would have medalled in Paris, but for a fantastic French effort that relegated the Germans to fourth by 0.06 seconds. Kathrin Marchand is doubling up between the PR3 mixed double and the coxed four. The German doctor and two-time Olympian suffered a stroke in 2001, and made her Paralympic debut in Paris in the coxed four.
China’s crew are unchanged to the one that beat Brazil in the B-final in Paris, and finished sixth at the 2023 World Championships.
