Image credit: World Rowing
With the start of the Paris Olympics just a few weeks away the time has come for the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta, aka “The Regatta of Death”. This is the last chance for 28 boats to book their place at the Olympic party. Held on the glorious waters of the Rotsee in Lucerne – the aptly-named Lake of the Gods – it is, perhaps, the hardest and most brutal set of races throughout the entire Olympic cycle. The maths is very straightforward (unlike the Continental Qualifiers which are anything but); finish in the top two and you’re in. If you don’t then that’s it – the Olympic dream is over for another four years.
Entries: 6
A small, but very competitive field. Based on current form, the two favourites are likely to be Denmark and Croatia. Denmark is represented by the highly-experienced duo of Helvig Rasmussen and Fie-Udby Erichsen. Erichsen is no stranger to the pressures of the FOQR. She is aiming to qualify for her fourth Olympics and for each one she’s had to go through final qualifying. For her part, Rasmussen is aiming for her third Olympics. Both Danes have Olympic medals to their credit, Erichsen a silver in the W1X from London, and Rasmussen a bronze in the pair from Rio (partnered by Anne Andersen). This pair raced together at Tokyo, placing eighth. They’ve raced once so far this season, taking bronze at the Varese World Cup.
Croatia’s Jurkovic twins, Jospia and Ivana, were U23 world champions together in 2022 and on the senior stage made the A-Final at the 2022 World Championships and also the 2023 Europeans. Injury forced them to withdraw from the 2023 Worlds, and this season they opened their account with a bronze medal at the European Championships.
France missed qualifying for Tokyo, but their pair for 2024 are in with a fighting chance to get to Paris. Emma Cornelis and Josephine Cornut raced together as a pair at U23 level, finishing fifth in 2021. They had a disappointing 2023 where they could only finish 19th. This season they raced in the W4- at the Europeans, but, with that boat having been broken up, they are attempting qualification in the pair.
New Zealand are the reigning Olympic champions in this boat class, however, following retirements, the Kiwis put together a new combination in 2023, Kate Haines and Alana Sherman. Both from the Waikato Club, Haines was in the W4X that finished tenth at the 2022 Worlds. In 2023 she and Sherman paired up and placed 13th at the World Championships.
Germany is represented by Lena Sarassa and Hannah Reif. They raced as a pair last season, finishing one place behind the Kiwis in Bled. This season they’ve shown some good pace, making the A-Final in Varese and also at the Europeans.
The final crew in the event is Italy. Kiri English-Hawke and Laura Meriano. They were both in the Italian W4X that made the A-Final at the Varese World Cup this season, before moving into the pair for the Europeans where they finished eighth.
Prediction
Denmark to take first but it could be a great battle for the second qualifying spot. I’m going to pick New Zealand just ahead of Croatia.
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