With the 2020 international season all but cancelled and the Tokyo 2020 games postponed, World Rowing has since had the considerable task of re-writing the 2021 season to accommodate the delayed Olympics and necessary Olympic qualification regattas around their pre-covid planned events. Today World Rowing announced via press release their revised schedule of events for next year. The news will undoubtedly come as relief to coaches and athletes around the world who can now plan their run-in to Tokyo next summer.
See below the official announcement from World Rowing.
From World Rowing:
Due to changes caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, World Rowing’s 2021 season has been adapted.
These adaptations take into account the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games to 2021 and the cancellations of rowing events in 2020.
Following an extensive consultation period with stakeholders including FISA’s Member Federations, Organising Committees and Continental Rowing Confederations the following dates and locations have been confirmed:
- World Rowing Cup I (Zagreb, CRO) – 30 April-2 May 2021
- Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta (Gavirate, ITA) – 7-9 May 2021
- Final Olympic Qualification Regatta (Lucerne, SUI) – 16-18 May 2021
- World Rowing Cup II (Lucerne, SUI) – 21-23 May 2021
- World Rowing Cup III (Sabaudia, ITA*) – 4-6 June 2021
- World Rowing Under 23 Championships (Racice, CZE) – 7-11 July 2021
- World Rowing Junior Championships (Plovdiv, BUL) – 11-15 August 2021
- World Rowing Masters Regatta (Linz-Ottensheim, AUT) – 1-5 September 2021
- World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals (Oeiras, POR) – 24-26 September 2021
- World Rowing Coastal Championships (Oeiras, POR) – 30 September-2 October 2021
- World Rowing Championships (Shanghai, CHN) – 17-24 October 2021
The updated Events Calendar for 2021-2024 is now available online at: http://www.worldrowing.com/fisa/publications/
Para Rowing
Para rowing events will be offered at:
– all Continental Qualification Regattas
– Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta (Gavirate, ITA)
– World Rowing Cup III (Sabaudia, ITA)
– World Rowing Championships (Shanghai, CHN)
Para rowing classification for athletes with a physical impairment will be offered at:
– all Continental Qualification Regattas
– Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta (Gavirate, ITA)
– World Rowing Cup III (Sabaudia, ITA)
– World Rowing Championships (Shanghai, CHN).
Para rowing classification for athletes with a visual impairment will be offered at:
– Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta (Gavirate, ITA)
– World Rowing Championships (Shanghai, CHN).
The 2021 FISA International Para Rowing Regatta will be held at the same time as the Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta in Gavirate, ITA as was planned for 2020.
Asia/Oceania and Americas Continental Qualification Regattas
Discussions to confirm the dates of the Asia/Oceania and Americas Olympic and Paralympic Continental Qualification Regattas are continuing and more information on these will be announced as soon as possible.
Olympic and Paralympic Qualification
Once the dates for continental and final Qualification regattas are confirmed, the deadlines for National Olympic Committees to confirm Olympic and Paralympic quota positions will be finalised with the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee. The relevant qualification system documents will then be updated. Please see the relevant event pages for these documents:
o http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2020-olympic-games-regatta/event-information
o http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2020-paralympic-games-regatta/event-information
The above calendar for 2021 has been agreed based on the clearing of the COVID-19 pandemic and all related government measures to contain its spread. FISA continues to closely monitor the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and all recommendations for the staging of safe and healthy events.
* Sabaudia ITA has replaced Trakai LTU as the site of the World Rowing Cup III.