Ben Pritchard had triathlon ambitions before suffering serious injuries in a 2026 cycling accident [Getty Images]
Welsh Para-rower Ben Pritchard is one step closer to defending his world title after successfully retaining his European title in the PR1 men's single sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Varese, Italy.
Pritchard, who was named BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year for 2025, overcame a freak pre-event injury to beat Italian Giacomo Perini in a closely contested race.
The 34-year-old rower suffered a minor injury when he was dropped from a hoist to the floor, but managed to cope with the pain throughout the championships. "When I landed in Italy, there was a malfunction on the hoist that got me on to the coach and the cable snapped, so it dropped me from the top of the hoist to the bottom, which obviously causes a bit of an injury," Pritchard told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
Pritchard's team-mates have stayed at Varese to complete their preparations for the World Rowing Championships, which take place from 24-30 August at Amsterdam's Bosbaan venue.
Pritchard feels that this camp is where they get the most speed, and they do a load of speed work in the last block now for the world championships. "I'm hoping that that'll set me in good stead for the future," he said.
Pritchard is one of Para-rowing's dominant forces, having won gold at the 2024 Paralympics and set multiple world records in his event. He has also added the 2025 European and world crowns to his tally.
Pritchard says he went to Italy with added desire to succeed after his Swansea coach Andrew Williams lost his father. "It was a big one and an emotional one, but gave you the actual motivation when the going got tough in the race, that's for sure," he said.
Pritchard was comfortable facing and beating Perini on his home waters, saying: "I think it's more my home water than his."
Pritchard will head to Amsterdam with confidence, where he will face Erik Horrie from Australia in the world championships. "I have just seen my competitor Erik Horrie from Australia training this morning, and he looks really fast as well," Pritchard said.
The World Rowing Championships will take place from 24-30 August at Amsterdam's Bosbaan venue.
Source: Yahoo Sports