The number of entries has swelled for the second World Rowing Cup for 2019 with over 800 athletes expected to compete in Poznan, Poland from 21-23 June 2019. 

The entry is more than double that of World Rowing Cup I in May and it will be the biggest World Cup ever to take place in Poznan. Overall the last time there was a World Rowing Cup of this size was in 2011 and happened before an Olympic Qualification Regatta. Likewise, later this year, Olympic Qualification will take place during the World Rowing Championship regatta in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria in August. 

The Poznan regatta has attracted 45 nations and, for the first time this season, Australia and New Zealand will compete along with a number of Latin American nations. Big teams have entered from Germany, Italy and Great Britain. Germany has the largest team with 28 boats entered. This includes entries in all of the Olympic boat classes.

Germany brings its men’s eight that has gone unbeaten in a final for the last two years. The crew will face a new-look New Zealand eight that includes Olympic Champions Hamish Bond and Mahe Drysdale. Also racing for the first time this season is Australia’s eight who took silver at last year’s World Rowing Championships. 

The women’s pair has attracted the biggest field of the women’s boat classes and includes World Champion Hillary Janssens of Canada racing with new partner, Sydney Payne. New Zealand’s silver medal crew of Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast are racing as well as Italy’s 2018 fourth-placed crew of Sara Bertolasi and Alessandra Patelli.  

This World Rowing Cup regatta includes para-rowing boat classes and features the ongoing battle between World Champion Erik Horrie of Australia and Paralympic Champion Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine. They will race in the PR1 para men’s single sculls. Returning to the PR1 para women’s single sculls is World Champion Birgit Skarstein of Norway who faces competition from five nations. 

Racing begins on Friday 21 June and will continue through to Olympic and Paralympic boat class finals commencing at 10:35am CET Sunday 23 June. All Sunday finals will be live streamed on www.worldrowing.com as well as broadcasted on leading channels around the world.

Regatta information can be found here.