High Performance Overview
The main international competitions for the Rowing NZ High Performance programme are the Olympic Games (held every 4 years with the next Olympic Games held in Paris), the World Rowing Cup series, and the annual World Rowing Championships.
The World Rowing Cup series comprises three regattas held each year with overall winners being determined by points that are awarded to the top finishing boats at each event. New Zealand routinely attends World Rowing Cup II and III.
Rowing NZ also selects developing athletes to compete in the World Rowing U23 Championships, U21 Trans-Tasman competition and the World Rowing Junior Championships each year. New Zealand university students have also represented New Zealand at the World University Rowing Championships which are held every two years, and New Zealand rowers have also raced at the Universiade (Summer University Games).
- Olympic Games
The Olympic Games happens every four years and includes rowing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sets a quota of 526 athletes competing in the 14 boat classes. This quota means that the World Rowing Federation carries out qualification regattas. The main qualification regatta is the World Rowing Championships that is held in the year prior to the Olympic Games. A final qualification regatta is held about three months before the Olympic Games. The Olympic regatta follows a progression system of heats through to finals and is held over eight days in the first week of the Olympic Games.
- World Rowing Championships
The World Rowing Championship regatta is the biggest annual World Rowing event and the most important of the season. It is held at the end of the season. The regatta is held over eight days using a progression system from heats through to finals and ensuring that there is sufficient rest time between boat classes for the athletes. In an Olympic year, the World Rowing Championships is held for International boat classes only and is held in conjunction with the World Rowing Junior and U23 Championships.
- World Rowing U23 Championships
The World Rowing Under 23 Championships is an annual event for rowers under the age of 23. Sometimes called 'Senior B', the event is held over five days in July. In an Olympic year the World Rowing U23 Championships is combined with the World Rowing Championships.
- World Rowing Junior Championships
The World Rowing Junior Championships is held annually for rowers 18 years of age or younger. It consists of 13 boat classes which are raced over five days using the progression system of heats through to finals. In an Olympic year the World Rowing Junior Championships is combined with the World Rowing Championships.
