The 2026 Head of Shanghai River Regatta and the inaugural World Rowing Shanghai Sprints wrapped up on Sept 27 after four days of high-speed racing and cultural festivities along Suzhou Creek.

The event marks a major milestone for Shanghai's homegrown regatta, which has evolved from a local competition into a World Rowing-endorsed international fixture, building on the professional legacy of the 2025 World Rowing Championships held in the city.

The newly launched World Rowing Shanghai Sprints brought together eight elite crews — the top seven nations from the 2025 World Rowing Championships, plus an international mixed World Team. Each squad fielded 11 athletes with Olympic, world championship, or national team experience, competing in a 500-meter dash.

"An amazing view in the background," German rower Alexandra Foster said. "The most exciting thing was that nobody knew at the beginning who was going to be best at this distance on this course, because it's such a new thing."

"It was super fast and super different. The course wasn't straight — we had the turns. That made it even more emotional," Serbian rower Nikolaj Pimenov said. "You can take the lead, but if you make a mistake and hit the buoy or the bridge, you can lose it."

On the unpredictable urban course, Foster claimed gold in the women's single sculls. In the men's single sculls, Greece's Stefanos Ntouskos, representing the World Team, added another title to his career. Ireland's Zoe Hyde and Margaret Cremen secured gold in the women's double sculls. The Serbian pair Martin Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov won gold for the World Team. China's Deng Zhiwei and Shen Shuangmei took bronze. Germany triumphed in the mixed eight final, while the World Team won the overall Shanghai Sprint trophy.

Alongside the international sprint event, the Head of Shanghai River Regatta drew nearly 700 participants across university, club, legacy, and youth categories, reflecting the event's growing grassroots reach.

Annamarie Phelps, vice-president of World Rowing, said she was encouraged to see new rowing clubs emerging in Shanghai and expressed hope for the sport's continued growth in the city.

Beyond the water, a rowing festival took place at the North Bund International Passenger Center, drawing locals to immerse themselves in the rowing atmosphere.

Source: China Daily Website