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The World Rowing Shanghai Sprints brings together 88 athletes from seven national teams, plus a “World Team” of all-stars, competing across six boat classes in a fast-paced, knockout-format regatta. Races will take place over a 500-meter, two-lane course in the heart of Shanghai, delivering an intense sprint-style rowing showcase featuring cash prizes for some of the top rowers in the world.
The event has been organized by World Rowing in partnership with the China Rowing Association, the Shanghai Administration of Sports, and the Donghao Lansheng Group, organizers of the annual Shanghai Marathon. Teams will be supported through travel, accommodation, equipment, appearance fees, and prize money.
Given the lack of a major title sponsor for World Rowing, the importance of this event can’t be overstated. “This is about more than racing—it is about taking rowing beyond its traditional venues, connecting with new fans, and putting the spotlight directly on our sport,” said World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland.
All these seven national teams will have to face the intriguing addition of an eighth squad: ‘Team World’, made up of high quality athletes like Stefanos Ntouskos, the 2025 world singles champion and winner of the same event at the Tokyo Olympics. Alongside him will be the powerful Serbian double of Martin Macovic—the former Cal Golden Bear—and Nikolai Pimenov.
“We already have experience participating as members of the World Team at the Lenny Peters Cup in North Carolina,” explained Pimenov. The 29-year-old went on to say, “It is also a great opportunity to meet and build friendships with athletes from other national teams in person.
“The head-to-head duel format, especially in a sprint distance, is something our sport has been missing to make competitions more dynamic and attractive for spectators.”
These multinational sprint formats have been tried before, notably on London’s Serpentine Lake in the late 1980s. Watch the earlier Serpentine racing. But the Shanghai event is altogether more ambitious. Watch the Shanghai Sprints preview.
Team USA: Cedar Cunningham, Christopher Carlson, Jacob Plihal, Samuel Melvin, Samuel Sullivan, Teal Cohen, Isabela Darvin, Grace Joyce, Kaitlin Knifton, Sophia Vitas, Cristina Castagna (coxswain).
