Europe’s leading crews will converge on Lake Varese for the 2026 European Rowing Championships from 31 July to 2 August, with major rematches and new combinations spread across the Olympic, Paralympic and international boat classes.
Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful spots on the international circuit, the Lombardian lake surrounded by Alpine mountains will host what promises to be spectacular racing in spectacular scenery. Oh, and the gelato’s good too, make mine a doppio. Here’s a flavour of what’s to come.
Headline entries include Germany’s Oliver Zeidler, Croatia’s Martin and Valent Sinkovic, Ukraine’s Anna Sheremet, and unbeaten British single sculler Lauren Henry. Alongside those established names, mixed boats will race at the European Championships for the first time.
How to Watch the 2026 European Rowing Championships
Zeidler Joins a Loaded Men’s Single
Zeidler enters a men’s single field containing the reigning world champion and the defending European champion.
Greece’s Stefanos Ntouskos holds the world title after also finishing second at the 2025 European Championships. Yauheni Zalaty won that European final and has collected silver medals at both World Cups he has entered this season.
Photo GER M1x
Zalaty also owns the European best time of 6:38.51, set in 2025. Yet, in a contest overflowing with talent and three proven championship performers, Zeidler remains the one to beat.
Henry’s single-minded success
Henry brings the strongest 2026 record into the women’s single sculls. The British sculler has won both of her World Cup appearances and holds the European best time of 7:09.76, also established last year during her senior international single sculls debut. The Paris women’s quad sculls champion rattled the door of Rumyana Neykova’s decades-old world best time of 07:07.71.
Rowing fans are yet to witness the ultimate match-up between the three reigning champions: European champion Henry, world champion Fiona Murtagh of Ireland, and the Dutch Olympic champion Karolien Florijn, whose hopes for World Cup gold sunk in Seville. The wait continues. Of these three, only Henry races in Varese, yet despite being the standout performer the competition will be hot.
Photo GBR W1x
Sixteen nations are entered in the women’s single. Lithuania’s Viktorija Senkute and Serbia’s Jovana Arsic have already reached World Cup podiums this season and will hope to challenge Henry for her first European title.
2026 European Rowing Championships
Stacked PR1 Singles
Czechia’s PR1 W1x Eliska Krejci arrives in search of her first podium but the six-boat straight final will be fiery. There’s no question Ukraine’s defending European and world champion Anna Sheremet is the favourite. She lines up against Switzerland’s World Cup III winner, Claire Ghiringhelli, and Dutchwoman Eva Mol, who consistently medalled throughout 2025 including European silver and World Cup gold in Varese. Keep an eye out for Sweden’s Ebba Einarsson too.
Photo GBR PR1 M1x
On the men’s side there are 10 entries and the mighty three meet again: Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard, Italy’s Giacomo Perini, and Ukraine’s Roman Polianskyi. The undisputed favourite has to be Welshman Pritchard. The defending Paralympic, European and world champion lowered his own indoor rowing world record and took gold in Lucerne this season. For two-time Paralympic champion Polianskyi, it’s his first race back since winning silver in Shanghai. Perini, who finished fourth at worlds, also returns to the racing circuit, last year he scooped silver at the Varese World Cup and bronze at Europeans.
Eights on the Edge: Varese’s Big-Boat Contenders
Sinkovic Brothers Return to the Double
Martin and Valent Sinkovic are back in the Croatian men’s double after spending time in the four. Their reunion produced victory at World Cup II. The brothers still hold the world best time of 5:59.72, recorded in 2014. An 18-nation Varese field will test how quickly they have re-established their form in the double.
Photo CRO M2x
Belgium’s Tibo Vyvey and Aaron Andries have won gold and silver during the 2026 World Cup season. Serbia’s Henley Royal Regatta winners and world silver medallists, Martin Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov, arrive with two World Cup medals this year. Spain’s relatively new combination of Rodrigo Conde Romero and Caetano Xose Horta Pombo have twice finished fourth and remain within reach of the podium.
The women’s double sculls has been less settled, with coaches chopping and changing combinations. Switzerland’s Fabienne Schweizer and Salome Ulrich have produced consistent results, as have last year’s World bronze medallist Tatsiana Klimovich and Alena Furman (AIN). Lithuania has pedigree in this event: Paris Olympian Dovile Rimkute makes her return to the international competition by teaming up with two-time Beach Sprints champion Martyna Kazlauskaite. Italy’s hometown heroes Clara Guerra and Alice Gnatta arrive as the leading contenders after winning World Cup II.
2026 European Rowing Championships
British and German Quads Meet Again
The World Cup rivalry between Great Britain and Germany continues in the women’s quad sculls. Germany beat Great Britain at the season opened in Seville, but the British crew reversed that result in Lucerne at World Cup III after former lightweight champion Imogen Grant moved into the stroke seat.
Great Britain holds the European best time from 2025, although its Varese crew is very different to that record-setting combination, only Lola Anderson remains. Germany will try to reverse the World Cup III result, with Greece also among the crews capable of entering the medal contest.
Photo GBR W4x
Italy starts as the leading men’s quad after winning World Cup II with Luca Chiumento, Luca Rambaldi, Andrea Panizza and Giacomo Gentili. Germany has taken gold and bronze during the World Cup season, while Ukraine brings Shanghai finalist Olexandr Nadtoka back into its boat.
Mixed Boats Enter the European Championship Programme
It will be the first European Championship appearance for the mixed double sculls and mixed eights events. Those races introduce a new selection question at the end of an already crowded programme. Federations must combine athletes from their men’s and women’s squads while managing workloads across the three-day regatta.
Photo ROU Mix8+
Racing begins in Varese on Friday, with European titles decided by Sunday, 2 August. Row360 will be covering all the action.
