Rowing world champs: What to watch

A total of 40 crews are competing from 17 countries.

LTA mixed coxed four (LTAMix4+)

Outlook: This event will be raced for the first time since the World Rowing Championships started including Pararowing events 12 years ago. Great Britain is the reining Paralympic and World Rowing Cup champion in this event and has two members (Pamela Relph and Naomi Riches) returning from it's 2012 boat this season.

Classification: Two male and two female rowers from the sport classes LTA-PD and LTAB1/2/3 form a team. Due to their physical strength, only two rowers In the team may have a visual impairment and no more than one may have the sport class LTA-VI B3. All athletes with visual impairment are blindfolded during training and competition.

AS Women's Single Sculls (ASW1x)

Outlook: Russian rookie Natalia Bolshakova won gold at both the Samsung World Rowing Cup in Eton Dorney and the Gavirate Para-rowing Regatta this year. She did so by ending Ukraine's Alla Lysenko unbeaten streak.

Norwegian sculler Birgit Skarstein is another rookie sculler to watch out for in this event. She was third at Eton Dorney.

Classification: Athletes in sport class AS primarily use their arms and shoulders to accelerate the boat, as they have minimal or no leg and trunk function, which can be caused by spinal cord injuries. In sport class AS there are separate events for men and women and the athletes compete in single boats.

AS Men's Single Sculls (ASM1x)

Outlook: With Chinese Paralympic champion Cheng Huang sitting this one out, the field opens up for Tom Aggar of Great Britain. After winning gold at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Aggar's five-year undefeated streak in international races ended when he finished fourth in the 2012 Paralympics on home water in London.

But the 29-year-old four-time world champion regained his hometown glory earlier this summer when he finished first at the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup II at Eton Dorney on 22 June. Alexey Chuvashev of Russia, who was third in the 2012 Paralympics, could give Aggar a run for his money.

Classification: Athletes in sport class AS primarily use their arms and shoulders to accelerate the boat, as they have minimal or no leg and trunk function, which can be caused by spinal cord injuries. In sport class AS there are separate events for men and women and the athletes compete in single boats.

TA Mixed Double Sculls (TAMix2x)

Outlook: Perle Bouge and Stephane Tardieu look to extend their 2013 unbeaten streak. With Paralympic champion Chinese boat out of the water in this event, the French duo will have the edge. But Israel's Olga Sokolov and Reuven Magnagey could also contend for the podium after they finished second at Eton Dorney this year. Team Bad Company, Oksana Masters and Robert Jones, could also make waves in this race. The Americans finished third at Eton Dorney despite the fact that Masters lost an oar and they got tied up in the buoys.

Classification: Sport Class TA comprises athletes who can use their arms and trunk when rowing, but are not able to use their legs or a sliding seat when performing the strokes. These athletes typically have good trunk and arm function. For example, athletes with a double above or below the knee amputation would fit this sport class profile.