The World Indoor Rowing Championships is an indoor rowing championship competition organised by World Rowing. The competition has been held annually since 2018. So far, there have been championships organized in venues and with virtual formats.
The 2023 competition in Toronto, Canada was the first time a hybrid (virtual and in-person) competition was available to athletes.[1] It was also the first time the Versa Challenge provided qualified athletes the opportunity to compete for the title of the most fit 'versatile' indoor rower in the world.[1][2] Athletes competed in four surprise versa challenges over two days.[3] Finland's Joel Naukkarinen and America's Elizabeth Gilmore earned the most points in the Men's and Women's Versa Challenge in February 2023.[3]
Venues
Medallists
Men
2,000 m
Lightweight 2,000 m
500 m
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2020
|
Phil Clapp (GBR)
|
Joel Naukkarinen (FIN)
|
Vincent Matz (FRA)
|
| 2021
|
Phil Clapp (GBR)
|
Anton Bondarenko (UKR)
|
Joel Naukkarinen (FIN)
|
| 2022
|
Phil Clapp (GBR)
|
Cameron Wharram (CAN)
|
Anton Grassi (SVK)
|
| 2023
|
Phil Clapp (GBR)
|
Cameron Wharram (CAN)
|
Matt Snare (USA)
|
| 2024
|
Joonas Kuivalainen (FIN)
|
Thomas Wilson (GBR)
|
Chris Scott (GBR)
|
| 2025
|
Joonas Kuivalainen (FIN)
|
Matt Snare (USA)
|
Spyridon Kalentzis (GRE)
|
Lightweight 500 m
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2020
|
Adrien Decriem (FRA)
Damián Alonso (ESP)
|
|
Michal Zawadzki (POL)
|
| 2021
|
Benjamin Smith (AUT)
|
Martino Goretti (ITA)
|
William Legge (AUS)
|
| 2022
|
Mohamed Kota (EGY)
|
Chen Sensen (CHN)
|
Daniel Satch (GBR)
|
| 2023
|
Giovanni Ficarra (ITA)
|
José Daniel Martínez López (ESP)
|
Mohamed Kota (EGY)
|
| 2024
|
Mohamed Kota (EGY)
|
Francisco Pizana Iniesta (ESP)
|
Ahmed Meshref (EGY)
|
| 2025
|
Joonas Mäkipelto (FIN)
|
Adham Maghoub (EGY)
|
Amirreza Ebdali (IRI)
|
1 hour
Team
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2021 (3 minutes)
|
Finland 1 (FIN)
|
Egyptian National Team (EGY)
|
UK Armed Forces (GBR)
|
| 2022 (3 minutes)
|
Finland (FIN)
Egyptian Rowing Federation (EGY)
|
|
No Rowing For Old Men (GBR)
|
| 2023 (2000m)
|
The International Men of Mystery
|
No Rowing For Old Men (GER)
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
| 2024 (2000m)
|
The International Men of Mystery
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
Czech Team (CZE)
|
| 2025 (2000m)
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
NewWave Crossfit (GBR)
|
Gym Mettle (USA)
|
Team Relay 5000m
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2025
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
NewWave Crossfit (GBR)
|
Titans of Piraeus (GRE)
|
Women
2,000 m
Lightweight 2,000 m
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2018
|
Christine Cavallo (USA)
|
Emily Schmieg (USA)
|
Kathryn Schiro (USA)
|
| 2019
|
Justine Reston (GBR)
|
Katelin Guregian (USA)
|
Toni Harding (USA)
|
| 2020
|
Laura Tarantola (FRA)
|
Marie Margot Joannes (FRA)
|
Jilly Tovey (GBR)
|
| 2021
|
Paula Pankratiew (POL)
|
Olga Svirska (LAT)
|
Krimi Khadija (TUN)
|
| 2022
|
Min Yang (CHN)
|
Jiaqi Zou (CHN)
|
Lai Weijuan (CHN)
|
| 2023
|
Krimi Khadija (TUN)
|
Silke Tamborijn (BEL)
|
Elisa Arcara (ITA)
|
| 2024
|
Bruna Parente (POR)
|
Barbora Podrazilova (CZE)
|
Zoe Dickson (DEN)
|
| 2025
|
Martyna Radosz (POL)
|
Bruna Parente (POR)
|
Nourelhoda Arafa (EGY)
|
500 m
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2020
|
Olena Buryak (UKR)
|
Lucie Giraud (FRA)
|
Rhian Rudkin (GBR)
|
| 2021
|
Ana do Carmo Caldas (POR)
|
Joanne Clapp (GBR)
|
Bianca Piloseno (USA)
|
| 2022
|
Bianca Piloseno (USA)
|
Olena Buryak (UKR)
|
Jade Lally (GBR)
|
| 2023
|
Olena Buryak (UKR)
|
Sonja Pentola (FIN)
|
Clara Hogan (IRL)
|
| 2024
|
Iida Niemi (FIN)
|
Sarah Maria Johansen (DEN)
|
Emma Simpson (GBR)
|
| 2025
|
Stefanie Preiksa (AUS)
|
Ella Fox (USA)
|
Kees Karpatskij (FIN)
|
Lightweight 500 m
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2020
|
Jilly Tovey (GBR)
|
Laura Barrigan (GBR)
|
Selma Dhaouadi (FRA)
|
| 2021
|
Anna Hughes-Davies (GBR)
|
Krimi Khadija (TUN)
|
Rouba Amina (ALG)
|
| 2022
|
Jiaqi Zou (CHN)
|
Tan Jinlian (CHN)
|
Nourelhoda Arafa (EGY)
|
| 2023
|
Krimi Khadija (TUN)
|
Sarita Kristina Hansen (DEN)
|
Laura Barrigan (GBR)
|
| 2024
|
Sarita Kristina Hansen (DEN)
|
Laura Allen (GBR)
|
Nourelhoda Arafa (EGY)
|
| 2025
|
Meriam Mamieliekova (UKR)
|
Sarita Kristina Hansen (DEN)
|
Nourelhoda Arafa (EGY)
|
1 hour
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2021
|
Margit Haahr Hansen (DEN)
|
Ghada Ibrahim (EGY)
|
Larysa Zhalinska (UKR)
|
Team
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2021 (3 minutes)
|
Egyptian National Team (EGY)
|
Finland (FIN)
|
Danish Masters Team (DEN)
|
| 2022 (3 minutes)
|
Finland (FIN)
|
British Army (GBR)
|
Mannheim-Karlsruhe (GER)
|
| 2023 (2000m)
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
Nordisch by Nature (GER)
|
Team Live2Row (USA)
|
| 2024 (2000m)
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
Sexy Erg Screens
|
Impeccable Transitions
|
| 2025
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
Impeccable Transitions
|
Swift Strokes 2.0
|
Team relay 5000m
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2025 (2000m)
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
Golden Horseshoe Rowing (CAN)
|
Rowers' Relay: Forward to Victory (UKR)
|
Mixed
2,000 m team relay
| Year
|
Winner
|
Runner-up
|
Third
|
| 2021
|
Finland 1 (FIN)
|
Egyptian National Team (EGY)
|
Concept Fitness (25x17px)
|
| 2022
|
Egyptian National Team (EGY)
|
Finland (FIN)
|
British Army (GBR)
|
| 2023
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
Freespeed
|
KSA Team Mix (KSA)
|
| 2024
|
Team FINLAND (FIN)
|
Freespeed
|
Dream Team 2024
|
References