Image credit: World Rowing
The first World Cup of any new season is often a bit of a tepid affair, with lots of straight finals or no races in some boat classes at all. But, this year, in Varese, it’s a different matter. Being Olympic year, and with the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta just five weeks away, Varese has drawn a huge and high quality field.
So, as always, I’ll look at each boat class and pick out the main contenders.
Entries: 8
Federica Cesarini should give the home crowd something to cheer. The Tokyo LW2X Olympic champion is slated to race in both the LW1X and LW2X events (with partner Valentina Rodini). This doubling-up suggests that there maybe uncertainty over Rodini’s participation. If Cesarini does race in the single she will start as the strong favourite. She’s no stranger to racing the LW1X internationally, having won the European title back in 2019. But, she and partner Rodini struggled after Tokyo, missing the A-Final in both 2022 and 2023. Cesarini has already raced in the LW1X once this season, winning the gold at the Memorial Paloa d’Aloja.
The Netherlands’ Tosca Kettler raced at all three World Cups last season. She took silver at the opening World Cup and fourth at the second. Her season finished with an eighth place in Lucerne.
Great Britain’s Olivia Bates is the spare for the LW2X. She raced in the single last season, winning two World Cup bronze medals, but finished the season with a somewhat disappointing 12th at the World Championships (understood to be due to illness).
Switzerland is represented by Olivia Nacht. She spent the 2023 racing as a second Swiss LW2X (with Eline Rol), winning a bronze medal at the opening World Cup and then placing in the B-Final at both the second and third World Cups. She’s raced the LW1X in 2022, placing fifth at World Cup 2 and tenth at the final World Cup.
Also racing are Finland’s Aura Forsberg (19th at the 2023 Worlds), Norwegian Maia Emilie Lund (fifth in the B-Final in 2023), Morocco’s Majdouline El Allaoui (making her senior debut after finishing 20th in the BLW1X at the U23 Worlds) and Tunisia’s Khadija Krimi (18th in the LW2X last season).
Prediction
If Cesarini races she should win with Bates in sliver and Kettler third.
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