Image credit: World Rowing
The apex of the 2024 Olympiad began in earnest on the shimmering waters of Varese, Italy, with crews from across the world convening to test their early-season speed.
The starting roster for this first World Rowing Cup was conspicuous for absences – there were either no or limited teams from Australia, Romania, New Zealand or the USA. However, as noted by our expert columnist Dan Spring, the starting docket was still stacked for an opening salvo, with GB, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands amongst the teams sending near-to-full squads.
Let’s dive right in and pick out the key contests…
Women’s Single
JRN Prediction: Netherlands, Germany, Ireland
Actual Result: Netherlands, Germany, Norway
There is simply no touching Karolien Florijn of the Netherlands at the moment; she is in unstoppable form and appears to be moving inexorably towards an Olympic gold medal in the women’s single scull. Her technique is almost perfect and she executes each aspect of the stroke with clinical precision. Behind her, Alexandra Foester of Germany secured a strong silver medal, setting her home country up on both single sculling podiums, whilst Inger Seim Kavlie won her first senior international medal, finishing third.
Men’s Single
JRN Prediction: Germany, Netherlands, Norway
Actual Result: Germany, Netherlands, Italy
Watching Oliver Zeidler on the glassy surface of Varese, you have to acknowledge that it is going to take something seismic to unseat the German at the top of the men’s sculling tree. He led from the off, winding down in the final few strokes with plenty of clear water to spare ahead of Simon Van Dorp of the Netherlands, who had to hold off what was rapidly becoming a customary late charge from an Italian crew, represented here by Davide Mumolo. George Bourne of Great Britain, a 2023 quad resident before pitching into the single, will go to the FOQR with renewed vigour whilst Damir Martin of Croatia will hope to find more speed in the weeks to come after slipping out the back.
Women’s Pair
JRN Prediction: Netherlands, Ireland GB
Actual Result: Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark
Something of a clinic from world champions, The Netherlands, who stayed calm in the face of early-race pressure from Denmark and late-race sprinting from Ireland. Given where some of these crews are in their season preparation – particularly Denmark, who need to qualify this boat for Paris – it was perhaps not surprising to see the ranking order push GB out of the medals. With Australia, New Zealand and perhaps a smattering of crews from elsewhere to come back in, we should be in for a cracker.
Men’s Pair
JRN Prediction: GB, Croatia, Switzerland
Actual Result: GB, Switzerland, Denmark
A superb performance from the richly-talented duo of Tom George and Ollie Wynne-Griffith of Great Britain, who slayed the fast-starting Denmark and held off a remarkable sprint from world champions Switzerland. With around 500m to go, GB’s position was such that even the mesmeric gear change offered by the Swiss was not enough to overhaul nearly a length of clear water. GB, though, will know they need more come Paris.
Women’s Heavyweight Double
JRN Prediction: Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland
Actual Result: Netherlands, Norway, Germany
With a relatively open field that featured none of 2023’s world medalists, it was the Netherlands who struck to secure an impressive gold in the Italian backyard, whose representatives were pushed down into fourth. To those who follow the World Rowing circuit, it will come as no surprise that the Netherlands talent machine continues to churn out world cup-winning boats, even in categories that are not prioritised. Having lost Ireland in the run-up, it was Norway who took silver and Germany who snuck in to secure bronze and spoil Jeannine Gmelin’s international comeback.
Men’s Heavyweight Double
JRN Prediction: Netherlands, Italy, Ireland
Actual Result: Netherlands, Italy, Ireland
Yet another classy classy row from the Netherlands, whose position as world champions coming to Italy put them firmly in the category of ‘hunted’ for the resident Italian crew, who took the bit between their teeth in the opening 1000m to lead the Dutch through the first two timing markers. Not to be overawed, Twellar and Broenink simply stayed patient and used the age-old technique of attrition to turn the screw and allow their superior base boat-speed to do the talking. Ireland snuck into bronze almost on the line ahead of a despondent German boat.
Women’s Lightweight Double
JRN Prediction: GB, Canada, ITA2
Actual Result: GB, ITA1, ITA2
If you’re going to swing for the champ, you better not miss and it was the Canadians who scuppered any chance they had of overhauling the dominant pairing from Great Britain with a mishap off the start that left them several lengths back. Imogen Grant and Emily Craig, who have not been beaten in open competition since the Tokyo Olympics, were in no mood to contend with any pretenders to the crown, establishing a length of clear water on the field at the halfway point. It is remarkable that an event which prides itself on close proximity between crews has been rendered a one-horse race by the British, which meant that the contest between home crews from Italy – who secured silver and bronze – was the narrative that compelled viewers to watch with intent. In the end, it was the Tokyo Olympic champions who secured second place by 0.02 seconds.
Men’s Lightweight Double
JRN Prediction: Switzerland, ITA1, Norway
Actual Result: ITA1, Switzerland, Norway
In lieu of world and Olympic champions from Ireland, it was the boys from Switzerland who seized the mantle to establish what seemed to be an unbreakable hold on the field with 1000m left to row. The battle between Italy 1 and Italy 2 in lanes four and five was a compelling watch in the opening half before Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares of the first crew began to motor, overtaking their compatriots and demonstrating their world medalist form. Such was their acceleration that the Swiss could not live with the blistering pace that home water and a partisan crowd seemed to imbue the Italians with and it was Oppo and Soares who took the win by a few feet over Switzerland in silver and Norway in bronze.
Women’s Coxless Four
JRN Prediction: Netherlands, GB1, Ireland
Actual Result: GB1, GB2, Netherlands
If you were tuning in without the context that this was a depleted field, you could be forgiven for thinking that the final of the women’s coxless four in Varese was an internal British seat race. At the halfway mark, GB1 – featuring double Olympic gold medalist Helen Glover – led ahead of GB2 in silver and the world champion unit from the Netherlands in bronze. With 2022 W4- World Champions Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten rejoining the boat, GB1 looked superlative in taking gold right when it matters in an Olympic year. GB2 will be delighted to also scalp the Netherlands, claiming silver ahead of the world champions in bronze.
Men’s Coxless Four
JRN Prediction: GB, ITA1, Netherlands
Actual Result: ITA1, GB, Netherlands
This category seemed to be rubber-stamped before crews hit the water, with Great Britain undefeated in nearly two years. However, on home water, the Italians trumped them in the heat which may have been a decisive factor in the explosive start that Davidson, Aldridge, Ambler and Wilkes from GB demonstrated. With 1000m gone, GB were out to nearly a length ahead of ITA1 in second and the Netherlands in bronze. A boat class steeped in legacy and narrative for GB, who only managed fourth in Tokyo, means this category is of the utmost importance but it was the Italians who mounted an epic sprint to overhaul the British with mere strokes to go, perhaps showing us that those headed to FOQR are simply ahead of the curve here. This one is tantalisingly open approaching Paris…
Women’s Quad
JRN Prediction: Netherlands, GB, Switzerland
Actual Result: Ukraine, Netherlands, Germany
Well – who saw that coming? An incredible performance from an unflappable unit from the Ukraine, who jumped out to a length’s lead in the opening 250m and simply never allowed themselves to be reeled in despite racing out in Lane 1. With the Ukraine heading to FOQR in just over a month’s time, it’s fair to say that their preparation is somewhat advanced on the likes of the Netherlands, who secured a silver, and Germany, who finished in bronze. Great Britain, who were world champions in 2023, were fourth but in the pack, which leaves things well-balanced approaching the European Championships in two weeks’ time.
Men’s Quad
JRN Prediction: Netherlands, Italy, GB
Actual Result: Netherlands, GB, Italy
All hail the Dutch. Olympic and world champions, the hyperbole runs dry in describing an effervescent outfit from the Netherlands, whose unrelenting rhythm proved too much for a scrapping pack behind them. It will take some doing to overturn this remarkable dynasty of Dutch sculling, even with 2022 world champions from Poland to rejoin the group. Great Britain, stroked by the experienced Graeme Thomas, improved on their fourth-placed finish in 2023 to claim silver whilst Italy took one step down the podium from Belgrade to take bronze.
Women’s Eight
JRN Prediction: GB, Australia, ITA1
Actual Result: Italy, GB, Romania
Another contest marked by absenteeism – no first eights from world champions Romania or Olympic champions Australia – it was up to Great Britain (who were doubling up in the four) to write the early-season narrative. Perhaps racing twice in quick succession took too much from the legs as the British looked a little laboured in the opening exchanges, allowing an incentivised Italian crew to steal a march on their rivals. In the end, it was too much for GB to do as Italy pulled off a stunning win in front of a baying home crowd with Romania’s development boat in third. With Italy trekking to the FOQR in a few weeks’ time, it is perhaps not surprising that they had the edge on a field that, for the most part, was weakened in one way or another.
Men’s Eight
JRN Prediction: GB, Netherlands, Germany
Actual Result: GB, Netherlands, Germany
Under the dictionary definition of ‘laying down a marker’, it might now be coined with a picture of this British display. Without boats from Australia, Romania, New Zealand or the USA, it was Great Britain who took a stranglehold of this race to dispatch the Netherlands, who pushed them a lot harder at the 2023 world rowing championships, and Germany, whose slow resurgence in the men’s eight will be a curious narrative to observe as the season unfolds. Can anyone touch this masterful British boat?
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