Image credit: World Rowing
The second World Rowing Cup of the year promises so much. Our European contenders, who we have already seen race on one, if not two, occasions this year meet their rivals from across continents as Australia, New Zealand, the USA and a number of other heavy-hitting global players converge on Lucerne in what will be many crews’ final race before the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As always, JRN are previewing every single event in-depth as we take another enormous step forward towards the crowning moment of our sport.
Entries: 7
In a seven-boat field, the women’s four is stacked with all world championship finalists racing except Romania.
Great Britain have to be favourites. The 2022 world champions struggled to find the same boat speed last season, with injuries and the puzzle of maximising Helen Glover’s indisputable talents disrupting their crew. This year however they are in imperious form. Changing their line up looks to have worked wonders; Glover is now at bow, the position which suited her best in pairs rowing; Sam Redgrave returns after a disrupted season of injuries last year, and the powerful Esme Booth sits in the two-seat. Stroked by the ever-composed Rebecca Shorten, the British have already beaten the Dutch and the Romanians this season, the gold and senior medalists at last year’s world championships. These are two huge confidence boosters and it is now up to the rest of the world to see what they can do.
The arrival of non-European crews makes World Rowing Cup two the most exciting event of the season so far, as we see how the likes of Australia, New Zealand and the USA are shaping up in Olympic year. Of these, it was the USA who placed highest at the world championships last year in fourth. This season they have changed three out of four of their crew, with only Kelsey Reelick remaining. The eight is now the USA’s priority boat in Paris, so the four will likely be aiming to medal at best. Reelick is joined by Emily Kallfelz, Mary Mazzio-Manson and Kate Knifton. This is Kallfelz’s first season sweeping internationally having previously raced in the quad and double in both 2022 and 2023. Mazzio-Mansen was part of last year’s sliver medal-winning eight, so will no doubt bring experience and power to the crew. Senior debutant Kate Knifton strokes this boat. The Texas university graduate won gold in the U23 four in 2022 and looks to be a talent to look out for both this year and in the next Olympiad.
Whilst the USA may have “weakened” their four in order to prioritise a bigger boat class, New Zealand look to have strengthened theirs. With no eight and their pair yet to qualify, this is the target boat for the Kiwi team. In 2023 they just scraped an automatic qualifying sport, winning the B-final at the world championships, however this year the addition of Olympic Champion Kerri Williams (née Gowler) is certain to strengthen it. She joins her sister Jackie Gowler, Pheobe Spoors and Davina Waddy in the crew. Following a third world championship title in the pair with Grace Prendergast in 2022, Williams took 2023 off international racing, but with her pedigree and experience she will be a huge boost to this crew.
Australia are a crew to watch out for this week. In another changed line-up, it is intriguing if this will lead to improvements on their fifth place finish in Belgrade last year. Jacqueline Swick and Molly Goodman both raced in the 2023 eight that placed third at the world championships, whilst Eliza Gaffney and Jean Mitchell have not raced since 2022. It is unlikely the Aussies will be competing for top spot, however they could be in the hunt for a third-placed finish.
The Dutch world champions have already been dealt a blow this season, with Great Britain 1 and 2 beating them at World Rowing Cup I. Following this event they went straight on training camp, choosing to miss Europeans. They remain in the same line up as 2023 and 2022 and will hope they can start making up lost ground on the British before Paris.
China and Chile complete the field in this event. Chile will race at Final Olympic Qualifiers early this week, hoping to grab one of the last two spots available for Paris. Any result at World Rowing Cup II will surely be a bonus for this crew, however they impressed last season in winning the first World Rowing Cup, albeit in the absence of the top world championship crews. China again race in the same line up as last season where their best result was fourth at World Rowing Cup II. All have various international experience in the four and eight, so will hope to build on this in Olympic year. It is hard to see them competing with the likes of the British and Dutch, but having placed sixth at the world championships, they will be looking to beat the likes of Australia and the USA.
Prediction
The British are certainly the crew to beat in this event and will want to cement their dominance in the final race before Paris. The rest of the field will be chasing them down, and I expect it to be between Netherlands and New Zealand for second and third. The Dutch will get the silver this time, with the Kiwis taking bronze.
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