The best promotion for rowing—and the World Championships
The 2026 LUCERNE REGATTA on Lake Rotsee was a heated affair in every sense of the word. The dress rehearsal for the 2027 World Rowing Championships (August 23–29, 2027) was a complete success.
Save the best for last: This goal, which virtually every sporting event strives to achieve, was fully realized in Lucerne. The final race of the weekend once again showcased all the excitement of rowing—the men’s single sculls event featured a rematch of the Olympic final in Paris. Olympic champion and Swiss resident Oliver Zeidler, just as he had in the three previous races, pulled ahead with a lightning-fast start, laying the groundwork for his victory.
After a quarter of the race distance, he was leading by more than two seconds over his longtime rival, Simon van Dorp. The Dutchman, who had defeated Zeidler in 2024 on the “Göttersee” in one of the most fascinating races ever, ultimately had to settle for fourth place, behind Paris silver medalist Yauheny Zalaty and Scott Melvin (USA). Local hero Kai Schätzle finished in a respectable 5th place in his first single sculls final.
The women’s single sculls race had also provided plenty of excitement just moments earlier. Aurelia-Maxima Janzen, Switzerland’s young rising star, surprised the entire field of top-tier competitors with a lightning-fast start and was even in the lead after a quarter of the race, just a hair ahead of Fiona Murtagh. The Irish world champion then took the lead, but was unable to hold off her longtime rival, Lauren Henry. In the sweltering midday heat of Lucerne, the British athlete put on a brilliant performance on the water and maintained a lead of nearly four seconds over Murtagh all the way to the finish line.
In the end, Janzen could only manage sixth place in this elite field, but like Schätzle, she gave an impressive glimpse of her potential. The other Swiss Rowing representatives also delivered strong performances: Jonah Plock and Patrick Brunner secured the bronze medal, just as they did last year, while the Lötscher sisters, Flavia and Lisa, along with Célia Dupré and Nina Wettstein, finished fifth in the quadruple sculls. Claire Ghiringhelli brought home a victory for the host country, confidently repeating her victory from the previous year in the PR1 category.
An all-around positive conclusion…
The competitions over the weekend were once again top-notch, and Lake Rotsee proved once more to be a course that was both fair and challenging. The challenges posed by the extreme heat were also handled exceptionally well. LUCERNE REGATTA — Managing Director Timon Wernas praised everyone involved: “It was a wonderful week on every level. We saw first-class competition, and despite the extreme heat, we had no major incidents and no more than usual in terms of numbers. The entire team took additional precautions, and they paid off.”
…and lots of excitement
Of course, next year’s World Championships were ever-present in the background: From August 23 to 29, 2027, the world’s top rowers will compete at the World Championships for the coveted medals and qualifying spots for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. For the first time in 25 years, the World Championships will return to the Göttersee, and of course the scale will be much greater than in a World Cup year. Timon Wernas sums it up this way: “Our goal with the LUCERNE REGATTA 2026 was to build anticipation for the 2027 World Championships among all members of the rowing community and throughout the Lucerne region. We succeeded in doing that.”
