Kathrin Marchand and Valentin Luz retained their PR3 mixed double sculls world title in Amsterdam, less than six months after Marchand competed at the Winter Paralympics.
The German crew took control within the opening 500 metres of Friday’s final at the Bosbaan, established clear water and extended their advantage over the 2,000-metre course. Ukraine’s Stanislav Samoliuk and Dariia Kotyk claimed silver, while Australia’s Ella Marshall and Sam Stunell took bronze.
“Winning is always fun,” Marchand told World Rowing. “I’m very happy that we defend our world title. It’s different if you defend the title than if you win it the first time, but we managed to continue our winning streak.”
A long wait for a commanding win
Marchand and Luz had to wait more than an hour beyond their scheduled start after thunderstorms and heavy rain forced racing to be suspended. The para finals were moved to later in the evening, but the interruption did little to disturb the defending champions. Germany led decisively at the first timing point and faced no sustained challenge thereafter, reproducing the podium order from the 2025 World Championships.
The victory marked Marchand’s return to rowing after competing in cross-country skiing. In March, the 35-year-old competed at the Paralympic Winter Games in Italy and became the first athlete to appear at the Olympic Games as well as both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
Her career now includes Olympic appearances at London 2012 and Rio 2016, followed by the Paris 2024 Paralympics and the 2026 Winter Paralympics. She finished fourth in Italy, matching the position achieved by Germany’s PR3 mixed coxed four in Paris.
From sweep rowing to two sculls
Marchand began rowing in 2005 and spent almost two decades in sweep boats. After competing at two Olympic Games, she stepped away from the sport before suffering a stroke in 2021. She later returned with the goal of racing at the Paris Paralympics.
Moving into the double required her to adjust to two blades while managing weakness on the left side of her body. The change produced a world title alongside Luz in 2025, when she also won bronze in the PR3 mixed coxed four.
Her Amsterdam victory gives her a second world title since she returned to rowing. Marchand’s longer-term plan remains rowing at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics, where she will seek the medal Germany missed by six hundredths of a second in Paris.
