Image Credit: World Rowing
2023 Champions: Birgit Lovise Roekkum Skarstein (Norway)
Entries: 7
2025 represents a real opportunity for someone in this field to start writing their legacy. None of the Paris medallists are on the start list for Shanghai, so let’s see who is prepared to come forward and pick up the gauntlet.
Only two scullers raced in the A-final at Stade nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne. Ukraine’s Anna Sheremet and South Korea’s Seejong Kim were fourth and fifth, respectively. What’s important to note is that Kim was just over 40 seconds back on Sheremet while the Ukrainian was just off the podium, five seconds behind France’s Nathalie Benoit.
Sheremet has been the top performer this season, but we haven’t had many scullers in action. However, you can only beat what is in front of you, and Sheremet won the European Rowing Championships by more than 30 seconds.
So far, we’ve seen Switzerland’s Claire Ghiringhelli twice on the circuit. She was third at the European Rowing Championships, six seconds behind Eva Mol in third place, but we will not see the Dutch woman on the flight out to China. Ghiringhelli was second in the B-final at last year’s Paralympic Games, hoping to place well at the business end of racing.
So, what does all this mean for the World Rowing Championships? Well, it’s hard to make sense of it all. This season’s results would suggest a gold and silver for Ukraine and Switzerland, respectively, but Sheremet is likely to be oceans ahead of the rest of the field. So, how about the rest of the field? Turkey’s Ahlem Jeddi is fresh to the senior circuit in 2025 and made her debut and only race this year in Lucerne. She was third, around 50s back on Ghiringhelli, who took the win on home water. Zofia Seweryn of Poland is the only other sculler we’ve seen this season. Seweryn was well off the pace at the European Rowing Championships, more than three and a half minutes behind the winner, Sheremet.
Two other scullers are racing in Shanghai. Shasha Shao of China races on home water. Shao was due to race the World Rowing Championships back in 2019, but did not race in the PR2 category. Egypt’s Zahraa Mohamed made her international debut last year at the Final Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta, where she raced to fifth place in the repechage.
Prediction
I think Ukraine will be comfortable winners this year. No one else has demonstrated an ability to challenge Anna Sheremet. I believe Claire Ghiringhelli will finish on the podium, but I think it will be behind Seejong Kim, who will burst onto the scene in silver.
