Delegates at the World Rowing Congress voted overwhelmingly in support of the St. Catharines’ bid. Photo Credit: World Rowing.
St. Catharines will play host to a number of sporting events in 2024, but the World Rowing Championships will surely be the biggest of them all.
It’s hard to believe that the Garden City was awarded the championships five years ago.
Back in 2019, the City of St. Catharines, in partnership with St. Catharines World Rowing and Rowing Canada Aviron, submitted a bid to host the World Rowing Championships in 2024, which includes the Senior, Under 23 and Junior championships.
It is the largest rowing event in the world.
Delegates at the FISA Congress voted overwhelmingly in support of the St. Catharines’ bid.
St. Catharines native Bill Schenck, chair of the event and member of FISA, can’t wait to welcome the world to the Garden City.
“I am very excited that the FISA Congress voted to support the decision of the FISA Council that Canada was the most suitable candidate to host the World Championships,” said Schenck.
St. Catharines has hosted two World Rowing Championships in the past, in 1970 and 1999.
“We are pleased and excited to see that the 2024 World Rowing Senior, Under 23 and Junior Championships were attributed to St. Catharines,” Terry Dillon, CEO of Rowing Canada, said.
“Rowing Canada would like to thank the community in St. Catharines for its support and hard work in putting together such a strong and successful bid,” Dillion continued. “We know how important it is for athletes to get the chance to compete on home soil and for our next generation of rowers to be inspired by seeing, firsthand, competition of the highest level.”
Rowing Canada was also very active in working to secure the bid.
The President of Rowing Canada is St. Catharines native Carol Purcer.
“I am thrilled that we are going to be bringing the World Championships back to St. Catharines,” explained Purcer. “We know that we have an amazing facility and a passionate community that will make for another memorable event for the athletes, the supporters and for World Rowing.”
The St. Catharines bid, which was built on the success of previous World Rowing Championships held in the city, along with the 139 years of the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, 2015 Pan Am Games and the 2022 Canada Summer Games, demonstrates that St. Catharines is world-class ready when it comes to hosting and organizing rowing events of this magnitude.
“The bid from St. Catharines was of the highest quality,” said Matt Smith, executive director of FISA at the time. “We were impressed by the care and commitment we witnessed in the attribution process and we are pleased to be looking forward to another successful World Rowing event in Canada. Congratulations to St. Catharines and Rowing Canada.”
The 2024 championships will showcase approximately 2,500 rowers and para-rowers from over 80 different countries across the Senior, Under 23, and Junior categories.
For more information, visit stcrowing2024.com
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
