SHANGHAI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Hosting the World Championships for the first time in China is an excellent way to promote rowing, World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland said at a press conference on Thursday.
"It's a very good way to promote the sport in your country," he said, emphasizing the goal of "leaving a rowing legacy in Shanghai and allowing more people to see and enjoy the sport."
The 2025 World Rowing Championships are being held in Shanghai from September 21 to 28, marking the first time the event has taken place in China.
"We have been preparing this event and trying to promote the event through different channels," Rolland said, noting that these efforts have already boosted participation, particularly among youth. "We do expect for the future a great sporting legacy in rowing because rowing will be more visible in this country... We will continue to really take the most benefit of the promotion that has been made around this."
World Rowing Executive Director Vincent Gaillard also expressed satisfaction with the organization, confirming further cooperation. "We are having very good collaboration with Shanghai, and we are looking forward to additional projects," he said, praising the "excellent conditions" and "fantastic" surroundings of the venue.
This partnership extends beyond Shanghai. The federation will build on its presence in China by staging the 2026 World Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships in Qingdao. World Rowing is also working with the Chinese Rowing Association to provide technical support for the inclusion of both classic and beach sprint rowing at China's upcoming National Games.
To engage younger audiences, the federation is introducing new broadcast technology. "We've had drones flying for the last two years now... We expect in the near future to come up with more innovations, hopefully maybe more cameras on boats," Rolland explained, highlighting efforts to "make the event easier to understand and more attractive to viewers."
In addition, World Rowing is developing new formats. "We have been very active in that space for a while already... in organizing competition, taking place on machines," Gaillard noted, referring to virtual and hybrid competitions. Looking ahead, Rolland added, "It's about the gaming that is going on around there. So we're trying to merge all this," aiming to make the sport more engaging through gamification. ■
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