Brandenburg, Germany – May 21, 2026 — The World Rowing Development Programme continues to play a vital role in strengthening emerging rowing nations, with targeted support provided to five teams at the 2026 European Rowing Under 19 Championships in Brandenburg, Germany. A total of 11 athletes and coaches from Armenia, Georgia, Finland, Estonia, and Moldova benefited from the programme, gaining valuable international racing exposure at a key stage in their development.
The supported crews included Armenia (JM1x), Georgia (JM2x), Finland (JM1x), Estonia (JW1x), and Moldova (JM1x and JW1x), alongside their respective coaches. This support enabled both athletes and coaching staff to compete, learn, and build experience in a high-performance environment against some of Europe’s top junior talent.
Several encouraging performances were recorded across the regatta. Moldova’s JM1x athlete delivered a standout result, winning the C Final, while Armenia placed 5th in the C Final of the same category. In the women’s single sculls, Moldova secured 5th place in the JW1x C Final. Georgia’s JM2x crew placed 5th in the B Final, finishing 11th overall. In addition, Moldova expanded its participation by entering the JMix2x event, where they achieved 4th place, demonstrating growing depth and versatility within their programme.
These results reflect steady progress and highlight the importance of continued investment in youth development pathways. Participation at this level provides invaluable competitive experience, helping young athletes build confidence, technical skills, and international racing awareness—key foundations for future senior success.
Looking ahead, the World Rowing community is optimistic about how this exposure and structured support will shape the future careers of these promising U19 athletes, strengthening the global development of the sport.
Representing Cyprus, Evgenia Maria Polycarpou and Georgios Antoniou competed in the Coastal Under 19 Mixed Double (CJMix2x), placing 12th in the time trial and therefore not advancing to the next round of racing.
For Greece, Iasonas Mouselimis raced in the Coastal Under 19 Men’s Solo (CJMS1x), finishing 15th in the time trial and advancing to face the Italian rower in the knockout round, where he was eliminated.Eva Boga also represented Greece in the Coastal Under 19 Women’s Solo (CJWS1x), placing 19th in the time trial and moving on to face an Individual Neutral Athlete, where she too was eliminated.
From Finland, Ilona Mäkelä competed in the same women’s solo category, placing 22nd in the time trial, just behind Eva Boga. Mäkelä was eliminated in the knockout round by an Italian rower.
Malta was represented by Mark Schembri in the Coastal Men’s Solo (CMS1x), who placed last in the time trial, and Leanne Xuereb Ungaro, who raced in the Coastal Women’s Solo (CWS1x) but did not finish her race.