The 2025 Rowing World Championships will be held from September 21-28 at the Dianshan Lake Aquatic Sports Center in Qingpu, Shanghai. The organizing committee revealed that as of August 21, marking 30 days before the competition, 1,149 athletes and coaches from 54 countries and regions have confirmed their participation. With elite athletes gathering, the Chinese team is also going all out for gold medals.

Among the Chinese rowers competing on home soil, Zhang Ling and Chen Yunxia, both from Shanghai, have drawn significant attention. In this year's completed World Cup competitions, this women's double sculls pair demonstrated strong capabilities by successfully sweeping the championships in both Varese and Lucerne stations.

As one of the Chinese rowing team's "ace boats," Zhang Ling and Chen Yunxia, together with Lü Yang and Cui Xiaotong, form the women's quadruple sculls combination that has achieved brilliant results on the international stage since their pairing. This includes championships in this event at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships, and winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics while setting what was then the world's best time of 6:05.13.

While excelling in quadruple sculls, Zhang Ling and Chen Yunxia have also been experimenting and building chemistry in double sculls, winning gold in this event at the 2021 National Games. After a brief setback at the Paris Olympics, their consecutive victories at this year's World Cup demonstrate their successful "restart" in the new event and further improved coordination, raising expectations for their performance at the Shanghai World Championships.

Among the elite athletes gathering for this World Championships, the legendary Croatian brothers Martin Sinković and Valent Sinković from Croatia are receiving the most attention. They are three-time Olympic champions in both double sculls and coxless pair events - the only team in history to achieve this feat. As one of the greatest rowing partnerships in history, the Sinković brothers will seek to win another medal in the men's coxless four event.

Lauren Henry, the 2024 Paris Olympics women's quadruple sculls champion, has switched to single sculls this year and maintains an undefeated record. This rising star in British rowing, known for her powerful strength and composed racing style, is one of the most promising young athletes in this event.

Fiona Murtagh from Ireland, bronze medalist in women's coxless four at the Tokyo Olympics, has also switched to single sculls and is the only athlete this season to pose a challenge to Lauren Henry.

In men's single sculls, Oliver Zeidler has the highest championship expectations. He is a multiple world champion and defending Olympic champion in men's single sculls.

In women's coxless pair, Netherlands' cornerstone Veronique Meester has demonstrated strong capabilities in this event, progressing from Tokyo Olympics silver to Paris Olympics gold. At this World Championships, she and her teammate will face challenges from Romanian ace Simona Radiș and her partner.

Before switching to women's coxless pair, Radiș was a two-time Olympic champion and multiple-time world and European champion in women's double sculls and women's eight, known for her endurance and powerful sprint capabilities, consistently ranking at the pinnacle of Romanian rowing.