Rowing chief praises ‘unique stage’ delivered by multi-sport European Championships
European Rowing chairman Annamarie Phelps has hailed the multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022 as giving Europe’s rowers “a unique stage to shine on”.
With four days of intense competition now completed at the Olympic Regatta Centre, she praised the concept of nine sports coming together to compete under a single banner.
“I think the multi-sport European Championships concept definitely adds value to all the sports involved,” Phelps said.
“Being part of the multi-sport European Championships makes a big difference to the sort of audiences we get. We get people crossing over from difference audiences to watch rowing, and it really does give our athletes a unique stage to shine on.”
A total of 18 nations claimed medals at the regatta, with the overall table being topped by Great Britain with six golds, closely followed by Romania and Italy.
“We had great coverage in the first few days and some really exciting racing,” Phelps added. “It made it certain that the people were keen to come. We had people coming to visit and watch our sport from across Europe.
“We know that most teams that were out there brought their supporters and the event generally drew people into Munich but also out to our course. We had people cycling out of the beach coming through to see the racing, so it was great.”
“I think the multi-sport European Championships concept definitely adds value to all the sports involved.”
Phelps says she would also consider changes to the way rowing is presented to audiences in order to align it even more closely with the other Championships sports based in and around the city centre.
She said: “We would love to be in the city centre but there are very few rowing courses like that.
“We would love to look at a way of bringing rowing into the city and making sure we demonstrate what the sport can do in an urban environment.”
Rowing is just one of the nine sports featured at the Championships, alongside athletics, sport climbing, cycling, triathlon, artistic gymnastics, beach volleyball, sprint canoe and table tennis.