Image credit: World Rowing
With the start of the Paris Paralympics just a couple of months away, the time has come for the Final Paralympic Qualifying Regatta, aka “The Regatta of Death”. This is the last chance for only seven boats to book their place at the Paralympic party. Held on the glorious waters of the Rotsee in Lucerne – the aptly-named Lake of the Gods – it is, perhaps, the hardest and most brutal set of races throughout the entire Paralympic cycle. The maths is very straightforward (unlike the Continental Qualifiers which are anything but); only the top finisher will book their ticket to Paris in the PR1 single sculls and the PR3 mixed double sculls. In the PR2 mixed double sculls and the PR3 mixed coxed four, the top two will go on to compete at the Paralympics.
Entries: 5
Brazil come in as the experienced unit as both Diana Cristina Barcelos De Oliveira and Jairo Natanael Frohlich Klug competed in the coxed four at the games in the coxed four. Previously, they raced as a duo in the mixed double at the world championships, coming out on top in both the 2017 and 2018 contests. In this cycle, they raced separately in the event at the second World Cup regatta of 2023 before reuniting at the world championships where they finished at the back of the A-Final field. If they can re-find their pace from the last cycle, they are capable of qualifying here.
They will face competition from the familiar Ukrainian duo of Dariia Kotyk and Stanislav Samoliuk. The young combination were even younger when they raced in Tokyo, placing ninth in the coxed four, Kotyk having raced in the event since she was fifteen. This cycle, they transitioned into the double, winning bronze at the 2022 world championships and the second World Cup regatta in 2023. Since then, there may have been a dip in form as they were in the B-Final at the 2023 world championships and finished third in a four-boat field at last month’s European championships. They have the class to progress if they can build on their result at the Europeans.
The other European entry in the event comes in the form of the Italian pairing of Greta Elizabeth Muti and Luca Conti. Conti is newer to the scene and has bounced between different boat classes; his only other experience in the double came at the 2023 European championships where his crew finished in last place. Muti, on the other hand, has a much deeper resume, having placed fifth in the coxed four in Tokyo but with little other major success. This combination was due to debut at the European championships this year but was scratched so their first competitive race will come here in Lucerne as they fight for a spot in Paris.
The first of two Asian entries comes from China and their line-up of Xixi Wang and Yunlong Wu. Finishing sixth in the coxed four at the world championships in 2023, that was their first race since 2019 where they failed to qualify the boat class for the Tokyo Paralympics. This season, they have been entrusted to qualify the mixed double, an event they would be forced to race if successful. Wu is an experienced head, having rowed at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics in the coxed four but didn’t win a medal in either event. If he is not re-selected to the four, this will be his only shot to return to the games after a cycle away, but will face tough competition in Lucerne.
The final entry in the event comes from Thailand, who have entered only the Para events in Lucerne. This comes from Chintana Chueasaart and Poramin Phongamthippayakul who will be making their world rowing debuts this weekend but raced together at the Continental Qualification Regatta, finishing 49 seconds behind the Indian crew who earned the spot. This is similar to margins they’ve experienced racing at events in Europe where they finished minutes off the pace. It would be a great surprise if they win on Tuesday in Lucerne.
Prediction
This event could be a close one. It’s likely to be a battle between the Brazilian and Ukrainian crews but the Chinese may be able to get a look in. Ultimately my pick would be for the Ukrainians to earn the spot in Paris, ahead of Brazil and China.
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