Rowing Canada Aviron raced the 2026 World Rowing Championships at the Bosbaan in Amsterdam from 24 to 30 August, against more than 850 athletes from 64 nations across 23 boat classes. The Canadian crews raced in Zhik, the first World Championships since Zhik was appointed RCA's official performance apparel provider, and the first real measure of a partnership built around on-water development rather than supply.
The Partnership
RCA appointed Zhik in March 2026 following a competitive Request for Proposals process. The agreement covers athletes, staff, board members and umpires across every rowing discipline, and RCA awarded it on three grounds, weighing Zhik's commitment to sustainability, its record of product innovation and its performance-driven design.
"This partnership is built on a shared obsession with performance. Working directly with Rowing Canada and the High Performance program allows us to test and refine our products where it matters most, on the water, with athletes competing at the highest level." Mat Belcher, CEO. "Zhik Rowing is a sport we are deeply committed to globally, and partnering with one of the world's leading national programs is a powerful step in that journey."
Developed On The Water
The commitment is a development program, not a kit order. Zhik works directly with RCA's High Performance program to test and refine apparel in training and racing conditions, with athlete feedback feeding back into the product. Belcher travelled from Australia to meet the squad in person early in the partnership.
"The athletes and coaches are thrilled to partner with Zhik. Mat Belcher's visit from Australia really energized the team and showed us the depth of commitment behind this partnership. Zhik's focus on high-performance watersports technology is bringing a fresh perspective and exciting innovation to rowing." Chuck McDiarmid, NextGen Program Lead, Rowing Canada Aviron
It is the same method Zhik has used to build sailing apparel across four Olympic cycles, now running in rowing.
World Rowing Championships
Canada enters five boat classes, racing the men's single (M1x), men's coxless four (M4-), women's double (W2x), women's quad (W4x) and women's eight (W8+), with racing opening on 24 August.
For the athletes it is the premier international regatta of the year and a marker on the road to Los Angeles 2028. For Zhik it is a week of the most demanding product testing available anywhere, with the same kit on the same crews across seven days of racing at the highest level in the sport.
The Rowing Range
Zhik's rowing offer is built around the unisuit, in two performance tiers that cover the athlete from early-morning training through to the start line.
The X Unisuit is the pinnacle suit, engineered with stitch-free fused construction and graphene-infused fabric for athletes competing at the highest level. Ultrasonic welded seams reduce irritation and allow organic panel shaping that traditional stitched construction cannot achieve, and the suit was developed alongside Olympic and national-level athletes. The Performance Unisuit sits below it, delivering technical precision and all-day comfort for high-intensity training and competition, with ultra-stretch spandex, a racerback design and a minimal seam layout supporting natural movement through the stroke while flatlock stitching and low-profile leg grips keep the athlete focused on output rather than kit.
Both tiers carry certified UPF 50+ sun protection, fast-drying fabrics and ergonomic 3D body mapping, built for the repeated high-output sessions that fill a rowing season.
