As announced by Rowing Canada, in conjunction with U SPORTS, University of Toronto Varsity Blues rower Roksolana Nazar and alumnus Jack Pankratz has been named to Team Canada for the upcoming 2026 FISU World University Championships.

Nazar and Pankratz were two of 34 student-athletes named to the roster for the international showcase set to take place on Fanshawe Lake in London, Ont., from August 13-15. Nazar will compete in the W4- category alongside teammates from Western University and the University of British Columbia, while Pankratz will serve as coxswain for the W8+.

"I am excited to be able to compete internationally again," said Nazar who previously raced in Paraguay last year at the Junior Pan Am Qualification Regatta. "But this time having it in my home country and province means that I can compete and have friends and family watch. I am also excited to be able to represent the University of Toronto and show Canada that we are an emerging program that can also produce national-team level athletes."

Now a Varsity Blues veteran, Nazar has been a major contributor in multiple boats for U of T throughout her career thus far. This has included winning OUA women's eight provincial silver in 2023, a second-place finish in the women's single at the prestigious Head of the Trent in 2024, and bronze in the women's eight at the 2025 Guelph Invite.

"I set a goal with Mark Williams (Varsity Blues rowing head coach) in my novice year that I'd like to be able to compete internationally by the time that I graduate from my undergraduate degree," said Nazar. "I'd like to thank him and the women's team coach Tom Stevens for all their help and support the past four years for making that even a possibility. I also want to highlight the fact that it is never too late to try a new sport, as I had no rowing experience prior to entering university. Novice programs like the one the University of Toronto rowing team provides are so welcoming and help build talent - they are great resources to help support a goal like this."

Meanwhile, Pankratz was a guiding voice for the Blues as coxswain in the same OUA silver medal boat alongside Nazar in 2023. Beginning in U of T's novice program in 2021, he has gone on to build an extensive resume, including selection to Rowing Canada's NextGen Team and helping the Canadian W8+ boat to a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships in 2023. He also represents Carleton University, recently graduating from the Ottawa-based institution.

The FISU championship is set to feature an estimated 300 student-athletes from over 20 countries. This will be the first time the event has ever been hosted in Canada.