Image credit: World Rowing
The final World Cup in Olympic year is always a bit of a strange affair. It’s often a mix of Olympic-bound crews looking for some final race practice, and nations looking to give experience to their development boats ahead of the next Olympic cycle. This year’s final World Cup is no different. The host for this World Cup is the Lake Malta course in Poznan, one of the most frequently used courses in all of World Rowing.
So, here’s my look at who to watch out for in each event and also perhaps a few names to watch for the LA Olympic cycle.
Entries: 19
With none of the medallists from Lucerne in attendance in Poznan, the top-ranked sculler will be Sverri Nielsen of Denmark. The Faroese sculler was world silver medallist in 2019 and European champion in 2020. Fourth in Tokyo was followed by a series of World Cup medals during the 2023 season but he missed the podium at the world championships. This season he’s also yet to make the podium with two fourth places at the European Championships and the Lucerne World Rowing Cup. Poznan offers him a great opportunity to return to the podium.
The main challenger to Nielsen, and possibly the favourite, will be Tom Mackintosh of New Zealand. He was in the NZL men’s eight that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics. In 2022 he raced in the M2-, reaching the A-Final and then last season he moved into the single, winning bronze at the world championships (New Zealand’s first world championship medal since 2015). He raced in Lucerne, qualifying for the final but withdrew due to a medical issue.
The most experienced competitor in the field is Damir Martin of Croatia; he’s been racing on the senior circuit for 17 years, the last ten of which have been in the single. Paris will be his fourth Olympics and so far he has medalled on each appearance; silver in the M4X in London, silver in the M1X in Rio and bronze in Tokyo. This season, his results have been a little mixed. He made the A-Final at the opening World Rowing Cup but had a disappointing European championships, ending up at the back of the B-Final.
Another Paris-bound entrant is Japan’s Ryuta Arakawa. He’s far and away Japan’s best-ever men’s rower. His 11th-placed finish at his home Olympics matched the result from his compatriot Satoomi Kasagi at the previous Tokyo Olympics in 1964. He made history in 2023 by becoming the first Japanese M1X to win a World Rowing Cup medal, taking bronze in Varese and he qualified for his second Olympics with an eighth place at the world championships last season.
The other main contenders are all “young-guns” who won’t be going to Paris but instead will have eyes on LA 2028. Leading this pack will be George Bourne of Great Britain. The former U23 world champion was a senior world championship silver medallist in the M4X in 2022 and was also in the quad that finished fourth in 2023. This season he lost his seat in the M4x to Graeme Thomas and moved into the single. He made an impressive start to his M1X career, reaching the A-Final at both the Varese World Rowing Cup and the European Championships. He had high hopes of qualifying the single at the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta but came up just short.
Another of these “young guns” is Ireland’s Konan Pazzaia. The 22-year-old won the BM2X U23 world championships in 2023 and was in the Irish M4X to end the season. This year he moved into the M1X, winning the B-Final at the Varese World Rowing Cup and then reached the A-Final of the FOQR.
Germany are represented by Julius Rommelmann. He’s following the trend of a former member of the M4X now racing in the single. He raced in the quad at both the Varese and Lucerne World Rowing Cups, making the A-Final on both occasions, but for Poznan he’s in the single. He hasn’t had a huge amount of success in small boats; he last raced the single in Lucerne last season but could only manage 30th.
Slovenia’s Filip-Matej Pfeifer is another sculler with eyes on LA rather than Paris. He’s been racing the single since 2017 and his best result to date was sixth at the opening World Rowing Cup of 2022. This season he won the C-Final at the Europeans and in Lucerne produced an excellent performance to take eighth.
There are a number of other scullers from some of the smaller rowing nations who will be using Poznan as final race practice before heading to Paris. Among them is Lucas Verthein Ferreira of Brazil. His 12th place in Tokyo matched his countryman Paulo Cesar Dworakowski’s achievement in 1980. Since Tokyo his best performance was eighth at the Varese World Rowing Cup last year. This season he’s recorded a ninth-placed finish at the opening World Rowing Cup and followed that with 13th in Lucerne.
Another Paris-bound sculler is Vladislav Yakovlev of Kazakhstan. Paris will be his third Olympics having placed 31st in Rio and 18th in Tokyo. He secured his place in Paris with victory at the Asian Olympic Qualifying Regatta in April.
A familiar name to British audiences is Dara Alizadeh of Bermuda. The former Cambridge University Boat Club President and Blue will be racing at his second Olympics. He finished 18th in Tokyo and secured his place on the start line in Paris with a fourth place at the Americas Qualification Regatta. He raced at the Lucerne World Cup, placing 20th.
Bruno Cetraro Berriolo of Uruguay is a former lightweight who, along with Felipe Kluver Ferreira, delivered their nation’s best Olympic result since 1952 when they made the A-Final of the LM2X in Tokyo. He raced in the LM1x throughout the 2022 season culminating in a fourth place at the world championships. He moved up to open-weight for the 2023 season but struggled to compete with the power of the heavy category, placing 20th at the world championships. He’s shown signs of being more competitive this season, finishing second at the Americas Qualification Regatta and then eighth at the Lucerne World Cup.
Prediction
Mackintosh of New Zealand in gold with Nielsen of Denmark in silver and Bourne of Great Britain in bronze.
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