Cover image: World Rowing / Benedict Tufnell
Reigning Champion: Gabriel Soares (Italy)
Entries: 28
Italy are the reigning champions in this event, although the 2022 champion, Gabriel Soares, has moved to the LM2X. In his place the title is being defended by Niels Torre. He was a member of the LM4X that won the world title last season and also has European Championship titles in the LM4X from 2021 and 2022. This season, he has raced at both the Varese World Cup and the European Championships, taking World Cup gold and European silver.
The main challenger to the Italian should be Abdri Struzina of Switzerland. He made the A-Final of the World Championships last season and so far this year has raced at all three World Cups and the Europeans, winning silver at the Euros and World Cup silver at the first and second World Cups and then gold at Lucerne. Switzerland hasn’t won the LM1X World title since 1977 but Struzina stands a really good chance of taking the title.
Another strong contender will be Artur Mikolajczewski of Poland. He raced in the LM2X at the Tokyo Olympics, placing second in the B Final. He raced in the LM1X in 2021, winning bronze at the European Championships and in 2019 he also won European silver in the light single. This season he again raced in the single and won a silver medal at the Lucerne World Cup.
Peter Galambos of Hungary has been racing in this boat class since 2006. He won world Championship silver back in 2016 and his best season was 2019 when he won European gold and World Championship silver. He also won the European title in 2021. This season he raced at the first World Cup, winning a bronze medal and then at the European he had his worst performance at a European Championships, missing the A-Final and ending up seventh overall.
Another “old-Stager” in this event is Rajko Hrvat of Slovenia. He’s been racing this event since 2010 and won his first medal taking bronze at the 2015 Europeans. Last season he made the World Championships podium, winning the bronze medal. This season he took gold at the first World Cup and then just missed the podium at the Europeans. He then raced in Lucerne, making the A-Final and finishing fifth.
France’s Baptiste Savaete has had a good season so far this year, having made the podium at both the Varese and Lucerne World Cups. The 22-year-old finished fifth at the 2022 World Championships and also won bronze in the BLM2X at the U23 Worlds. In 2021 he raced in the senior LM4X at the Europeans winning a silver medal.
Manel Balastegui of Spain raced in the LM2X at the Tokyo Olympics, winning the B-Final. He and partner Caetano Horta Pombo finished eighth at the 2022 World Championships. This season, Balastegui has been replaced in the Olympic-class LM2X by Dennis Carracedo Ferrero. Instead Balastegui is racing in the LM1X and has finished fourth at both the Varese and Lucerne World Cups.
Algerian Sid Ali Boudina is his country’s most successful rower. In 2022 he won the B-Final at the World Championships (the best ever result for Algeria at a World Championships). This season he raced at both Varese and Lucerne World Cups, finishing eighth and 11th respectively.
There are a number of exciting young scullers competing in this event. Amongst them is New Zealand’s Finaly Hamill. The 21-year-old made his senior debut this season, finishing 13th at Lucerne but he also took silver at the U23 World Championships. One place behind Hamill at the U23’s was Denmark’s Rasmus Lind. He also raced at the Europeans, placing fifth and won the B-Final at the Varese World Cup. Germany is also represented by a 21-year-old, Arno Gaus. He went straight into the senior ranks, finishing tenth in the LM2X at the 2022 World Championships and this season placed sixth at the Europeans and eighth in Lucerne. The USA is represented by the 2019 U23 World Champion, Sam Melvin. The Columbia graduate made his senior debut at the Varese World Cup in the LM2X with James Mccullough finishing third in the B-Final. The youngest competitor in the event is 17-year-old Halil Kaan Koroglu of Turkey. He is the current U19 M1X World Champion and makes his senior debut in Belgrade.
Predictions: Torre to win for Italy ahead of Struzina of Spain and Mikolajczewski of Poland
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