2018 in Review: Para rowing

The year included a World Championships that saw new stars rise and records broken in Para rowing. Here are four unforgettable moments to remember in the sport from 2018:

Man of the year

The Netherlands’ Corne de Koning went unbeaten this year, which included winning two titles at the World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. De Koning triumphed in the PR2 men’s single sculls, and then teamed up with Annika van der Meer to win the PR2 mixed double sculls. His success made him the first Para rower to claim victories in two boat classes at a Worlds.

Snow to water

Fresh off competing at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in cross-country skiing, Norway’s Birgit Skarstein was in excellent shape entering Plovdiv. The reigning world champion displayed such fitness by clocking a World Best Time en route to winning the PR1 women's single sculls title.

Rivalry heating up

Australia’s Erik Horrie smashed the World Best Time in the PR1 men's single sculls on his way to gold in Plodiv. He took the title away from Ukraine’s Roman Polianskyi, who came in unbeaten at two of his World Cups of the year. A split second separated the two and expect the races to be tighter ahead of Tokyo 2020.

British dynasty nearly ended

Great Britain’s PR3 mixed coxed four crew extended their dynasty with their eighth straight gold medal at the 2018 World Rowing Championships. But it was no easy task, as they needed a sprint finish to hold off the USA and secure the gold.