Aiguebelette to host World Rowing Championships in 2015
The 2015 World Rowing Championships will be held in Aiguebelette, France, delegates of the International Federation for Rowing (FISA) congress have announced.
Aiguebelette won a three-way fight, defeating bids from Strathclyde, Scotland, and Varese, Italy.
The French bid had been favourite to win the vote after receiving FISA’s recommendation in June, but FISA delegates made a point of praising the ‘very high’ standards of the Strathclyde and Varese bids, despite their eventual defeat.
The facilities available to athletes and spectators alike in Strathclyde were described as ‘high quality’ by FISA inspectors, who also noted that ‘all participants would enjoy a distinctly Scottish experience’ at the event.
Strathclyde 2015 had promised to produce the perfect experience for athletes and spectators alike – including a partnership with the Edinburgh Festivals to offer unique and pioneering combination of sport and culture – and FISA expressed their confidence that the bidding partnership of British Rowing, Event Scotland, UK Sport, North Lanarkshire Council, and Scottish Rowing were capable of producing a world-class event.
However, the FISA delegates ultimately decided that a combination of factors made Aiguebelette the most suitable venue for 2015.
“Whilst disappointed with the result of the FISA vote, I would like to wish Aiguebelette the very best of luck for what I’m sure will be a tremendous World Rowing Championships in 2015,” said British Rowing Chairman Di Ellis. “We have gained invaluable experience from the bid process, and we remain determined to bring other world-class rowing events to Strathclyde and Scotland.
“Meanwhile, UK Sport will continue to pursue its ambitious programme of hosting targets, ensuring that the UK makes the most of its top-quality event-staging facilities in the aftermath of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.”
The 2015 World Rowing Championships are scheduled to take placed from August 30 to September 6, and will act as the main qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games regatta.
