The countdown ceremony for the 2025 World Rowing Championships and the launch of the 2024 Head of the Shanghai River Regatta were held along the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai on Thursday, marking the initiation of the 360-day countdown to the championships and celebrating the upcoming regatta scheduled for the weekend.

"This is a milestone not just for Shanghai but also for China and, indeed, the rest of the world, given the expected resonance of the two important events that we are gathering for this evening," said Vincent Gaillard, executive director of World Rowing.

Xu Bin, director general of Shanghai Administration of Sports, said, "Born and prospered by water, Shanghai possesses its unique advantages in developing water sports. The open, innovative and inclusive urban character of Shanghai echoes well with the passionate, stylish, and elegant nature of rowing."