13 September 2024

By Marie Barge, text and photo

The 2024 World Rowing Masters Regatta, held in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, is now in full swing!

The regatta started on 11 September and will run until 15 September. Competing in the ca 680 races are 3,644 athletes from 726 clubs from 51 nations. Looking at gender, 38% are women (average age 53 years) and 62% are men (average age 58 years).

The host nation has the largest number of participants with 1,117 athletes (719 men & 398 women) followed by Great Britain, 398 athletes (208 men & 190 women) and the USA, 235 athletes (115 men & 120 women; female rowers in majority!).

The most gender equal nations are Austria with 34 participants, 17 of each gender; South Africa with 8 participants, 4 of each gender; Israel with 2 participants, 1 male and 1 female; and Thailand also with 2 participants, 1 of each gender.

As my husband is racing for Malmö Roddklubb, I, of course, have a sweet spot for Sweden with 62 rowers of which 44% are females (35 men & 27 women). I wonder when World Rowing will have its first non-binary participant!

Some more statistics: 117 of the participants are so-called Octos (Octogenarians) that is rowers 80+ (80-89) years. The oldest female rower is 89 years old, and the oldest male, who belongs to the Nonagenarians, is an impressive 98 years old! Tomorrow, Saturday, there will be a ceremony celebrating these incredible men and women.