As part of the Development of National Sports System (DNSS) project currently being implemented by World Rowing in Aqaba, Jordan, with the valuable support of Olympic Solidarity and Jordan National Olympic Committee, six ergometers (Indoor Rowing machines) have been donated to Jordan Rowing Federation. This donation aims to support the reactivation and development of Rowing in Jordan, with a focus on Indoor Rowing as the starting point.
Indoor Rowing, or ‘erging’ (named after the ergometer equipment used), has been widely used as a training tool for rowers since its creation. Today, Indoor Rowing has grown into a competitive sport. Ergometers have been used in Rowing training since the 1950s in many countries, with the earliest examples being large metal contraptions with solid iron flywheels.
In 2018, the first World Rowing Indoor Championships were held in conjunction with Concept2 in Alexandria, USA. The 1980s saw the development of lighter, more rower-friendly machines by the Dreissigacker brothers, founders of Concept2. Their innovation made rowing machines lighter and more affordable, allowing rowers to compare performances and spurring the growth of indoor rowing competitions.
Just like on-water Rowing, the most infamous benchmark test on the ergometer is 2000 meters for time. Competitions include various race formats, such as races for time, distance, maximum wattage, relay and team competitions, blind races, and elimination races. Indoor rowing is also featured in other sports competitions, such as CrossFit, Functional Fitness, and ‘indoor’ triathlons.
Indoor Rowing is naturally suited to virtual training and competition, and to eSports. Augmented reality and virtual racing and training platforms are being developed regularly. The 2021 World Rowing Indoor Championships were held virtually, with five continental qualification events also taking place virtually, and now many participants in the World Rowing Indoor Championships organised annually, can connect and participate in the Championships from the comfort of their home country as one of the options for participating.
Although Jordan has had a member Rowing Federation since 2006, the country is relatively new to Rowing. The DNSS project, which started in February 2024 and will continue until mid-November 2024, aims to reactivate and promote Rowing in Jordan, focusing on the Indoor and Coastal Rowing disciplines. The donation of these ergometers is the first step towards establishing a talent identification and training program to identify future athletes from Jordan. These athletes are expected to actively participate in the sport and engage in national and regional events starting in 2025.
