RMB National Squad Holds Its Own in Testing Shanghai World Championships
RMB National Squad Shanghai World Championships
Shanghai, China – 30 September 2025 – The RMB National Squad has returned from the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai with two top-10 finishes in punishing conditions, confirming that South African crews can compete among the best at Olympic level.
The first full-strength global regatta since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Shanghai delivered high drama: tight finishes, surprise podiums, and new events making their debut. The women’s single sculls final was decided by just 0.03 seconds.
Conditions added an extra layer of challenge. Humidity climbed above 80 % with temperatures over 30 °C, forcing organisers to monitor wet-bulb globe temperatures and keep ice vests, cooling zones and schedule adjustments on standby to protect athlete welfare. Several sessions were delayed because of the weather and technical issues, testing crews’ adaptability as much as their speed.
Amid the demanding schedule, Paige Badenhorst shone in the Women’s Single Sculls. She produced strong races through all rounds and finished 8th overall, confirming her status as one of the top scullers in the world.
“I’m thrilled with how I raced over these few days. Testing myself against the best in the world and finishing 8th is a huge step forward. I feel inspired by these results and can’t wait to continue growing and finding more speed in the upcoming season,” said Badenhorst.
The Men’s Pair of Damien Bonhage-Koen and Christopher Baxter showed excellent early-round form before a challenging semi-final left them just outside the top six. They battled on to finish 10th overall in one of the most competitive Olympic-class events.
While Shanghai was not an Olympic-qualification year, these results show that South African crews have the speed and resilience required to contend at the highest level in future Olympic campaigns.
As Chair of RowSA’s International Commission and a former Olympic medallist, Ramon di Clemente praised the squad’s performances:
“These performances demonstrate that South African rowing is right where it needs to be as we build toward future Olympic campaigns. Paige’s top-eight finish shows she can challenge the world’s best scullers, and the men’s pair proved they can hold their own in one of the deepest events. Our task now is to build on this momentum and push for podium places.”
The Shanghai campaign underlined that South Africa’s top crews are capable of competing with the best Internationally. With the experience gained in these testing conditions and renewed confidence from top-10 finishes, the RMB National Squad will continue its climb up the world rankings as the next Olympic cycle approaches.
Race footage & full results: worldrowing.com
Follow Team SA: @rowingrsa
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