April 8, 2021 - After several months of competition break, champion Croatian rowers brothers Valent and Martin Sinković are racing this weekend.
24 Sata reports that the Sinković brothers set off for the European Championships, to be held from April 9 to 11, 2021, in Varese, Italy. 629 athletes from 35 countries registered for the regatta, and Italy, the host country, has the largest number of registered crews.
"I think our biggest competition will be the Italians and the Romanians. The Dutch are tough on the first part of the track we learned last year. However, the boat is good, we are satisfied, and we can’t wait to race with the others. We hope for good competition, we will do our best to row the best we know, and then there is no fear for a good result," said Martin Sinković.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the international rowing season in 2020, only the European Championship was held, so the Croatian champion rowers are facing an exciting year of competition. According to the event management guidelines, the Varese Organizing Committee and the World Rowing Federation have developed a COVID-19 protection plan for organizing sporting events based on World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to ensure that all participants in the European Rowing Championships are at the lowest possible risk of infection.
"After last year's lockdown, the cancellation of the Olympics, and the whole new situation due to the pandemic, we have finally welcomed a big competition. It was a long winter, we trained well, we are ready, we feel excellent, and we can't wait for the races," said Valent Sinković.
The first race is scheduled for Friday, the semifinals are on Saturday, and the finals on Sunday.
Last year, of the rowing competitions, only the European Championship was held in which the Sinković brothers won second place. The next competition and another stop on the way to the Olympics in Tokyo is the World Rowing Cup, which is being held for the first time in history at Zagreb's Jarun from April 30 to May 2.
To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.
