World Rowing is joining the movement. The world rowing body told the TASS agency that it has set up a working group to study the conditions for a possible return of Russian and Belarusian rowers to international competitions. At this stage, no decision has been taken. Nor has World Rowing revealed when the issue will be decided. But it could happen in the next few weeks, as the international season actually starts next month. “Over the past few weeks, World Rowing has conducted a number of formal consultations with its member federations and has convened its Executive Committee on several occasions, to discuss the most recent positions taken and recommendations made by various governments, international and non-governmental organisations, civil society, the UN, the IOC, as well as World Rowing’s internal stakeholders and constituents, in order to consider the way forward and appropriate actions to be taken regarding future international rowing events and the qualification pathway for Paris 2024,” the body’s statement detailed. In this context, the World Rowing Executive Committee has established a working group to make recommendations for all relevant World Rowing events, including the World Championships, the Under-19 World Championships, the Under-23 World Championships and the World Cups in 2023 and 2024. Decisions will be communicated in due course.” World Rowing had announced on 2 March 2022, just days after the IOC’s recommendation, its decision to suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes from international rowing competitions.
