2023 World Rowing Under 23 Championships – Women’s Openweight Sweep Preview

Cover image: World Rowing / Benedict Tufnell

Women’s Pair 

Entries: 10

Current U23 World Champion: Greece (Evangelia Fragkou and Christina Ioanna Bourmpou)

The Women’s Pair has a stacked field this year, with many of the athletes expected to be in medal contention having already proved their pedigree both at last year’s U23 championships and at early racing this season. One of the standout entries is Lithuania’s Martyna Kazlauskaite and Kamile Kralikaite. Together they were the silver medalists in this event in 2022, and both rowed for the Syracuse 1V that finished eighth at this year’s NCAA’s. Having achieved such a strong result last year, alongside their combination together at university all season, they’ll be well positioned to go one place better than last year. 

A nation never to be discounted in this event are Germany. They’ve had some great results in this event over this years, including picking up bronze medals in the previous two editions. This year they’re represented by Maike Boettcher and Tori Schwerin who return to this stage having won bronze in the German eight last year, and silver in the coxed four in 2021. Gold is the only colour medal they’re missing, and with so many years of experience at this championship, expect them to be in with a shout of taking the top prize.  

France’s crew of Agathe Oudet and Josephine Cornut-Danjou are another experienced pair, having competed at the senior level for France at this year’s World Cup II and European Championships. At both those championships they were racing separately, but have now joined forces for the U23s so their senior regatta experience should set them up well to be competitive at this level. 

The last leading entry in my view comes from the Netherlands, who are boating Linn Van Aanholt and Noortje Wilms. Both were part of the Netherland’s eight at last year’s U23, finishing just outside the medals in fourth place. This year their preparation included Henley Royal Regatta, where they reached the semi finals of the Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup. They’ve been the ‘nearly women’ a couple of times now so must be hungry to get their hands on some silverware.  

Prediction: Following their silver medal at last year’s event it would be great for Lithuania to go one better this time around.

Women’s Coxless Four 

Entries: 12

Current U23 World Champion: USA (Caitlin Esse, Anna Jensen, Francesca Raggi, Kaitlin Knifton)

The most popular of the women’s sweep events this year with 12 entries, the women’s coxless four has some cracking entries, starting with the defending champions from the USA. They look in pole position to retain their title in this event, with the effort spearheaded by Madison Moore, who was part of the eight that took gold for the USA at last year’s championships. She’s backed up by U23 bronze medalists in the coxed four, Angela Szabo and Katherine Kelly, with Else Hartman, a former USA U19 stepping up into their U23 team. The USA team is always a tough one to even make, and they regularly have huge depth in their squad. Having won last year they won’t give up this title lightly. 

Hot on their heels and eager to overturn last year’s result where they finished second are Great Britain, who again have placed several of their stronger and more experienced athletes together in the four. Abigail Topp and Lauren Carey picked up silver medals at last year’s U23s in the eight and the four respectively. Along with Angharad Broughton and Philippa Emery, they’ll be hoping to go one better this year and, to me, this looks like the stronger of their two women’s sweep entries for this event.

There is a host of nations competing in the four who have entered athletes with experience racing at senior championships. Having already broken on to the senior team, this is an event to watch if you want a good indication of who will be the next big names for their respective nations in the upcoming years. For example, Spain’s entry includes three athletes out of their four who have experience at senior international level. Olivia Del Castillo and Iria Jarma Diaz represented Spain at this year’s European Championships, finishing sixth in the four. Both athletes also picked up a silver medal at World Cup I back in May. Backed up by Malena Barro and former lightweight Ana Navarro, the placing of such an experienced duo in this four suggests Spain feel it’s a strong boat for them to enter. 

The three other crews with experience racing at senior internationals are Chile, Poland and Canada. Antonia Leonor Liewald Heise, Isidora Niemeyer and Magdalena Jesus Nannig Rojas all competed separately at World Cup I for Chile, with the later taking gold in the four. The Polish four includes Anna Potrzuska and Barbara Jechorek who finished fifth in the B final of the pair at the European Championships this year. Finally, the Canadian entry of Leia Till, Abigail Dent, Maya Meschkuleit and Emma Seawright are the exact four who raced at World Cup III recently, finishing fourth in the B final. For all these crews, their experience racing at senior level should prove valuable. Up against giants of the rowing world including the USA and GB, it could be a spicy final. 

Prediction: I think it will be tight, and there are several nations who could win this event. It would be great to see Great Britain take it, but the USA will also be in the mix again. Of the rest I fancy Canada to do well, having already raced together this season.

Women’s Coxed Four 

Entries: 5

Current U23 World Champion: Australia (Isabella Scammell, Samantha Morton Van Eybergen, Emma Wilson, Emmie Frederico, Nicholas Dunlop)

As is to be expected the coxed four has a far smaller field, and often serves as a good indication of the depth of a nation’s squad to be able to enter a competitive coxed four. For defending champions Australia, Nicholas Dunlop returns to the coxing seat and will look to draw on his experience to guide an otherwise relatively inexperienced crew to more silverware this time around. Sophie Houston and Katehrine Easton have represented Australia previously as U19s, and are joined by Zara Collisson and Emily Sheppard who step up to represent Australia on the international stage for the first time. 

The two most experienced boats entered here look to be Germany and Italy. Germany’s Anni Koetiz and Paula Gerundt were part of the German eight that finished third in the 2022 U23 Championships, while Paula Hartmann raced in the four of that year’s senior European Championships. The crew is completed by Magdalena Hallay, who raced this event at last year’s U23 championships, finishing outside the medals in fourth, and Lena Gresens. The significant level of experience within this crew, with two former U23 medalists included, suggests to me this may be one of the events Germany sees as a strong opportunity to win gold. 

Italy also have two entries from last year’s eight which finished fifth; Martina Barili and Sofia Secoli. Secoli was also part of the eight that competed at this year’s senior European Championships, winning bronze. It’s another strong entry with plenty of international experience, but for me lacks the same level of depth as the German entry. I’d be surprised if they didn’t medal but they’ll need more than just Secoli to get them across the line in first. Rounding out the field is the USA and New Zealand, and with such a small field there’s always going to be the potential for upsets.

Prediction: For me, the German entry looks the strongest on paper and they’d be my favourites for this race.  

Women’s Eight

Entries: 7

Current U23 World Champion: USA (Hannah Heideveld, Sophia Hahn, Madison Moore, Camille Vandermeer, Margaret Hedeman, Kathia Nitsch, Azja Czajkowski, Isabella Battistoni, Rachel Rane)

Giants of the rowing world at senior level, the USA are defending champions in the U23 women’s eight. However, Hannah Heideveld is the only returner from last year’s winning eight, with the rest of the crew looking relatively inexperienced at this level. The USA still have some big names in their crew from the collegiate scene and one would still expect them to be very strong.

Similarly, last year’s silver medallists Great Britain have fielded a crew which features a number of U23 debutants. Phoebe Snowden once again has made the eight, having been in the 2022 crew, but for the rest this will be their first taste of racing at this level. They’re steered by former Oxford Blue Jack Tottem, who recently just missed out to Oxford Brookes in the final of the Ladies Challenges Plate at Henley Royal Regatta whilst coxing Leander. Now coxing the women at these championships, he’ll be hoping to finish his season on a high. 

In contrast to the relative international inexperience of the aforementioned crews, Germany has an eight packed with pedigree. Four of their athletes (Lene Muehrs, Emilia Fritz, Olivia Clotten and Annalena Fisch) were in last year’s crew that finished third, and three further members of the boat have represented Germany at junior level. They look like a really strong entry and will feel they can improve on last year’s result. 

Similarly Romania have an impressive entry, with six of their nine athletes having raced at last year’s U23 championships in either the eight, four or coxed four. The remaining three athletes all represented Romania at last year’s U19 championships and are now making the step up to U23 level. The senior women’s Romanian eight have had such a good season thus far, the highlight being their gold medal at Europeans, so their junior counterpart will be hoping they can replicate the infamous Romanian sprint and get across the line ahead of their rivals. The remaining entries come from the Netherlands, Canada and Italy, all of whom have athletes returning from last year’s U23 championships, so it looks set to be a really high-calibre final.

Prediction: If looking for a safe bet, despite their lack of experience at previous U23s, the USA are always strong. Germany have good pedigree and are an experienced entry, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they won gold this time around. However, I think it would be hugely exciting for Romania to come through – they might have only finished sixth in last year’s final but I’d expect them to be among the contenders for this year. 

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