USRowing Awarded USOPC Technology and Innovation Fund Grant for Para Rowing Seat Optimization

USRowing is pleased to announce that the organization has been awarded a grant from the USOPC Technology and Innovation Fund to study the optimization of the fixed seat for PR1 and PR2 rowers.

Currently, most commercially available Para rowing seats consist of a flat carbon fiber platform base with an optional backrest that can be adjusted to a variety of angles. USRowing's goal through the grant is to assist coaches and athletes to assess the initial seat position and angles that will yield increased efficiency of Para rowers.

"This grant will help us advance more rapidly in an area that we have identified as a key performance factor for PR1 rowers – the comfort and optimization of the fixed seat for performance," said Ellen Minzner, USRowing's Director of Para High Performance.

The study will be led by Tom West, U.S. Para National Team engineer, and will include athlete data collection, documentation of a methodology for determining seat geometry on the erg, on-water testing and data collection, and recommendations for custom seat fabrication for PR1 and PR2 rowers. The results and methodology will be shared with U.S. Para rowing clubs, coaches, and athletes, as well as across other Para sports.

The USOPC Technology and Innovation Fund was created in 2017 to support performance-impacting projects for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The fund helps support long-term integration into NGB performance planning with varied summer, winter, and multisport applications.