Fans to see youth stars at World Rowing Championships

If the Olympic sport of rowing takes a leap in popularity in Manatee and Sarasota counties due to the World Rowing Championships’ debut Sept. 23 to Oct. 1 at Sarasota’s Nathan Benderson Park, an event within it may also deserve some of the credit.

Seeing younger athletes before they become stars is exciting for some fans and that’s what may happen during a just-announced youth rowing regatta set for Sept. 23-24 during the championships.

The youth regatta is officially called Youth Regional Challenge, and it will feature 312 of the top Under-19 rowers from across six USRowing regions — Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest — racing in eights and quadruple sculls, said Meredith Scerba, executive director of the 2017 World Rowing Championships.

There will be two “all-star” crews in each of the four boat classes, including the men’s and women’s eights and men’s and women’s quadruple sculls, Scerba added.

USRowing’s Under-19 National Team Program will select the coaching staff and athletes representing each region.

“Partnering with USRowing for this extraordinary youth regatta is going to be fabulous,” Scerba said. “Onlookers will get to see some of the best up-and-coming rowers in the country, who, one day, could be representing the United States themselves at the world championships.”

Heats for the Youth Regional Challenge will take place on Sept. 23, following the 2017 World Rowing Championships’ spare races and preceding the Opening Ceremony for the championships, Scerba said.

“This is a really exciting event that will allow each region to showcase its talent on the world stage,” said Steve Hargis, the development coach of the USRowing Junior National Team. “Many of these athletes are aspiring to become elite-level athletes, so to be able to train, attending opening ceremonies and ultimately race as part of the world championship program really is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

This story was originally published June 11, 2017 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Fans to see youth stars at World Rowing Championships."