The 2024 edition of the Head of The Charles will be the 59th edition of this celebration of rowing. For three days in the fall, the rowing world will set up camp on the banks of the famous river as our sport has its autumnal homecoming. 2627 crews from 833 clubs will be racing this year over the twisting and turning three-mile battleground, including 20 entries in this category.
Martin and Valent Sinković
The greatest brothers to ever take to the waters. Martin and Valent will go down in history as legends of the sport, not just for their three Olympic gold medals but for how they snatched victory just a few weeks ago in Paris. It was a race for the ages. While many Olympians have put their feet up post Paris, Martin and Valent have been racing at the Croatian national championships coming away with wins in the pair, four, and eight. Oh, and Martin won the single as well. Despite picking up an extra blade since the Olympics, the Sinković brothers are no strangers to the Charles River as they currently hold the record in this event which they set 10 years ago.
Alexander Hedge and Jacob Plihal
Bow two in this field belongs to the Craftsbury Green Racing Project. The Northeastern University graduate is locking down the bow seat and four years rowing the Charles will pay dividends through some infamous bridges. It also helps he placed 13th in the Men’s Single out in Paris, producing the fastest time ever by a US sculler at the Olympics. Plihal is partnering up with Alexander Hedge who was named as an Alternate in the US Olympic team this year. In 2023 he brought home the first US rowing gold medal at the Pan American Games since 2011 and in 2022 sat in the seven-seat of the US Rowing crew that won Championship Eights on the Charles. This is a formidable lineup.
Matteo Sartori and Luca Chiumento
How would the Italians describe this crew? Molto bene. Yet another boat in this field with Olympic experience, the Italians will be bringing some Azzurri fire to Boston. Stroked by 2022 U23 champion Matteo Sartori, the 22-year-old has won two silver medals on the world stage this year at World Cup I & II before racing to fourth place in the Men’s Double repechage in Paris. His crewmate on the Charles is 2024 European Champion and Olympic silver medallist Luca Chiumento from Italy’s Quad.
Patrik and Anton Lončarić
The international all-star lineup continues. Croatia’s other set of brothers will also be making the journey west and they’re a sensational duo. The 2017 Junior World Champions have been rising through the U23 and senior ranks and on their Olympic debut in Paris, finished 12th overall after the Sinković brothers chose to switch back to the Pair. The twins are only 25 and are a fascinating prospect to follow through to the next Olympics in Los Angeles. The Lončarić have also been busy racing in Croatia since Paris and like the Sinković brothers picked up several gold medals in Zagreb.
Leonardo Tedoldi and Marco Prati
The second of two crews from the Italian club Gruppo Nautico Fiamme Gialle features two scullers likely targeting LA 2028. Marco Prati got a taste of senior racing at World Cup I this year, winning the E Final of the Men’s Single and placing fifth in the Men’s Quad at this year’s U23 World Championships. Combine this with his 2022 U19 World Championship title, he’s certainly one to watch over the next four years. His countryman, Leonardo Tedoldi has previously dipped his toe into senior racing but his standout performance comes in 2022 where he won gold in the U23 Men’s Quad. This year saw him win bronze in the same event before dabbling in the World Beach Sprints Finals in Genoa.
Jamie Copus and Niels Van Zandweghe
The first of our composite crews will go off bow seven in this year’s category. Jamie Copus, the Oxford Brookes stalwart returns to the Charles after a sensational row in 2022 that saw him win the Lightweight Single and place second in the Open Championship event. Copus will be joined this year by yet another Paris Olympian. Niels Van Zandweghe led Belgium to a ninth overall finish in the final edition of the Lightweight Men’s Double. Like the Croatians, Van Zandweghe has been enjoying some domestic racing winning the Men’s Eight and Double at the Belgian Championships.
Michael Herman and Cedar Cunningham
Last year’s fourth-place crew are back representing Penn A.C. Rowing Association. Michael Herman has twice represented the United States at the World Championships and earlier this year, raced for Pen in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, losing out to Lea & London on the Wednesday. Herman is reunited with Washington State graduate Cedar Cunningham who got a taste of US Olympic trails earlier this year, with ambitions of representing the US at a home Olympics.
John Mannion and Amel Younis
This is another crew back for a second year of racing together. This time though racing as a composite with John Mannion wearing the blue and white hoops of Riverside Boat Club and Amel Younis racing for Palestine Sailing Riverside. Younis has been racing internationally for Palestine for a couple of years in the Lightweight Single, with his best result of 18th overall coming at last year’s World Cup III. The duo were the fastest lightweight crew last year and will be hoping history repeats itself in 2024.
Prediction…
What a shootout this is set to be. I’d back the Sinković brothers to take this title but certainly don’t count out the Craftsbury scullers. I’d also peg Copus and Van Zandweghe as dark horses.
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