BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2025: Para-rower Ben Pritchard wins

Pritchard put down an early marker at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in May.

The Welshman burst out of the start line on day one by setting a new world record of eight minutes 47.88 seconds to qualify for the final with ease.

That time was significantly quicker than the previous world best of 8.50.38 set by Ukrainian Roman Polianskyi, but also smashed the 9.03.84 Pritchard had recorded in winning his Paralympic gold in Paris the previous year.

Two days later came the final and Pritchard upped the tempo again, lowering the world record mark to 8:40.38 as he claimed his first European title – finishing more than 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Polianskyi.

Pritchard said his performance was part of a “performance reset” for the Los Angeles 2028 Games cycle. Some reset.

Attention then turned to preparations for September’s World Rowing Championships in Shanghai.

Pritchard had twice before made it onto World Championship podiums but the title had proved elusive.

He remedied that in style in China in the final, leading from the start and maintaining the pressure on the rest of the field to take gold in a time of 8:55.65.

A jubilant Prtichard said afterwards: “I’m a Paralympic, European and world champion. I’ve broken European records, Paralympic records and world championship records. I’ll take it all to be honest!

“I wanted to get off quick and hold the lead, and towards the end I was holding on for dear life. I was dying in those last five strokes, that’s for sure.”

The results were also confirmation that Pritchard had made the right decision to train away from the GB squad this season, swapping the centralised National Training Centre in Caversham, Reading, for the River Tawe and David Lloyd Swansea back in Wales.