Image Credit: World Rowing
With the Olympics done and dusted, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the international rowing season is done and dusted. But no, there’s still one more outing; the World Rowing Championships. This isn’t a full programme World Rowing Championships however – it’s just for lightweight and para-rowing events that weren’t included in the Olympic/Paralympic programmes. For the first time since 2016, these are being combined with a full programme age group world championships at both U19 and U23 levels – the so-called “Mega Worlds”.
The 2024 World Rowing Championships are being hosted by St. Catharines, Canada, the venue for the annual Royal Canadian Henley, who are hosting a senior World Rowing event for the first time since the 1999 World Rowing Championships.
The senior worlds offered events in the Lwt1X, Lwt2-, Lwt4X, PR2 1X and PR3 2- for both men and women, however there were no entries for the LW4X and only two entries for the PR3 M2-.
So, without further ado here’s a look at those crews who have entered.
Entries: 3
2023 Champion: Italy (Serena Mossi & Elisa Grisoni)
Representing the home nation are Ciara Stevenson and Anna Currie, both making their World Rowing debuts. Stevenson, from Delta Deas Rowing Club, is a former University of Ontario and University of Victoria athlete. Currie, a Carelton University graduate, raced at the 2016 FISU World University Championships.
The second entry is from Peru with twin sisters Valeria and Alessia Palacios. The 24-year-old’s last raced in a sweep boat at the 2022 U23 world championships, winning silver in the BLW2-. In 2023 they moved into the LW2X, finishing 19th at the World Rowing Championships. They qualified for the Paris Olympics with second place at the Americas Qualifying Regatta and then raced at the second and third World Rowing Cups, placing tenth and seventh respectively. At the Olympics, they finished second in the C-Final to place 14th overall.
The final entry in the event comes from Poland, Katarzyna Welna and Jessika Sobocinska. St. Catharines will be Welna’s first ever international sweep race; as mentioned above, she partnered Martyna Radosz in the LW2X that finished ninth at the Paris Olympics. She has been racing on the senior international circuit since 2013 and this season has World Rowing Cup bronze from Varese. Sobocinska won U23 bronze in the BLW2X in 2022 and went one better in 2023. This season, she raced in the W2X at the FOQR but missed out on qualification. She raced in the LW1X at the Varese World Rowing Cup, winning the B-Final.
Prediction
Poland in gold with Peru in silver and Canada missing out on the medals.
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