World Rowing facts for kids
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| Sport | Rowing |
|---|---|
| Category | Sports federation |
| Jurisdiction | Worldwide |
| Membership | 157 |
| Abbreviation | WR, FISA |
| Founded | 25 June 1892 in Turin, Italy |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| President | Jean-Christophe Rolland |
| Vice president(s) | Tricia Smith |
| Official website | |
World Rowing, also called the World Rowing Federation, is the main group that manages the sport of rowing around the world. It's also known by its French name, FISA. This organization makes sure that rowing competitions are fair and follow the rules.
The current president of World Rowing is Jean-Christophe Rolland. He took over from Denis Oswald in July 2014. World Rowing organizes big events like the World Rowing Cup and the World Rowing Championships.
The History of World Rowing
How World Rowing Started
World Rowing was created on June 25, 1892, in Turin, Italy. Rowing leaders from France, Switzerland, Belgium, Adriatica, and Italy started it. Rowing was becoming very popular, and they needed clear rules. They wanted to make sure things like race lengths, boat types, and weight classes were the same everywhere.
At that time, betting on rowing was common. Sometimes, rowers or coaches were involved in the bets. This could lead to unfair races. World Rowing helped make sure that races were fair and that rowers were amateurs, meaning they didn't get paid to compete.
First Competitions and Growth
The first big competition organized by World Rowing was the European Rowing Championships. It happened in 1893 in Orta, Italy. Only 10 teams competed in 3 events, and no professionals were allowed. By 1925, the 27th European Championships in Prague had 24 teams in 10 different events. This showed how much the sport was growing!
In 1922, World Rowing set up its main office in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Rowing and the Olympics
World Rowing was the very first international sports group to join the Olympic movement. Rowing has been part of the Olympic program since the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. (Though the rowing events in 1896 were canceled because of strong winds!)
Every country that has rowing teams has its own rowing group. These national groups are part of the World Rowing Congress. There are currently 157 such groups, and they help decide what World Rowing does.
Presidents of World Rowing
World Rowing is led by a president. Here are the presidents since 1924:
- 1924–1926 Eugène Baud, Switzerland
- 1926–1949 Rico Fioroni, Switzerland
- 1949–1958 Gaston Mullegg, Switzerland
- 1958–1989 Thomas Keller, Switzerland
- 1989–2014 Denis Oswald, Switzerland
- 2014–present Jean-Christophe Rolland, France
Countries in World Rowing
At a meeting in 2022, World Rowing welcomed its 157th member country. This means many countries around the world are part of the World Rowing family!
Major Rowing Events
World Rowing organizes many international rowing events throughout the year.
Rowing at the Olympics
World Rowing helps plan the rowing events for the Olympic Games. They also manage how athletes qualify to compete in the Games.
Rowing at the Paralympics
World Rowing also helps plan the rowing events for the Paralympic Games. They have been doing this since the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. They also manage how athletes qualify for these games.
World Rowing Cup
The World Rowing Cup started in 1997. It includes three regattas (rowing races) held in late spring and early summer each year.
World Rowing Championships
This is a week-long regatta held every year. In years when the Olympics happen, only boat classes that are not in the Olympics race at the World Championships.
World Rowing Under 19 Championships
This championship started in 1967. It's for rowers who are 18 years old or younger by the end of the year. In Olympic years, it happens at the same time as the World Rowing Championships. Since 2021, it's called 'Under 19' instead of 'Junior'.
World Rowing Under 23 Championships
First held in 1976, this event is for rowers who are too old for the Under 19 Championships but are not yet 23 by the end of the year. It was first called the Nations Cup. In 2005, its name changed to World Rowing U23 Championships.
World Rowing Coastal Championships
These championships started in 2006. Races are held over 4 km and 6 km courses using special boats designed for coastal waters. These races can even start and finish on a beach!
World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals
These exciting races first happened in 2019 in Shenzhen, China. Athletes start on a beach and run to their boat. Then, they row a 250-meter zigzag course. After turning around, they row straight back to the beach. Once they reach the beach, they leave their boat and run to hit a buzzer on the ground.
Recent events include:
- 2019 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals – Shenzhen, China
- 2021 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals – Oeiras, Portugal
- 2022 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals – Pembrokeshire, Great Britain
- 2023 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals – Barletta, Italy
- 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals – Genoa, Italy
World Rowing Indoor Championships
The first World Rowing Indoor Championships took place in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, from February 17 to 18, 2018. This event is held in partnership with Concept2, USRowing, and the Erg Sprints organizing committee.
Recent events include:
- 2018 World Rowing Indoor Championship – Alexandria, Virginia, USA
- 2019 World Rowing Indoor Championship – Long Beach, California, USA
- 2020 World Rowing Indoor Championship – Paris, France
- 2021 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championship – held online
- 2022 World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championship – held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2023 World Rowing Indoor Championship – Mississauga, Toronto, Canada
- 2023 World Rowing Indoor Championship – Prague, Czech Republic
World Rowing Masters Regatta
This event has been held since 1973. It's for rowers who are 27 years old or older. Men and women compete in age groups from "A" (27 to 35) to "K" (85 and older). It's the biggest annual international regatta. In 2013, about 3500 rowers competed in 440 races over four days. There are also events for mixed crews, where half the team is men and half is women.
Recent events include:
- 2020 regatta – a virtual competition on indoor rowers due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021 regatta – Linz-Ottensheim, Austria
- 2022 regatta – Libourne, France
- 2023 regatta – Pretoria, South Africa
- 2024 regatta – Brandenburg, Germany
- 2025 regatta – Banyoles, Spain (September 10–14)
See also
In Spanish: Federación Internacional de Sociedades de Remo para niños
- Thomas Keller Medal – an award given each year by World Rowing to a rower with an amazing international career.
