Henley Royal Regatta 2022 – Diamond Challenge Sculls Preview

Holder; Graeme Thomas

Entries: 42 (reduced to 16 by qualifying races)

This is another event that should be a fascinating contest, and pits the current holder, Graeme Thomas of Agecroft Rowing Club, against the 2019 winner, Ollie Zeidler of Frankfurter Rudergesellschaft Germania 1869 e.V. These two raced each other at the Belgrade World Cup with the German taking gold and the Brit the bronze. Thomas won the recent GB trials and has been a member of the senior GB team since 2012. A last-minute injury ruled him out of the Rio Olympics (injuring his back during the warm-up). He partnered John Collins in the M2X in 2019 finishing fourth at the World Championships. The pair competed at the Tokyo Olympics and just missed out on a medal.

Zeidler burst onto the scene in 2018 winning a bronze medal in his first appearance at a World Cup. He went on to become World and European champion in 2019 and took his second European title in 2021. By his standards his Olympics was disappointing; he missed out on the A-Final but ended up winning the B-Final for seventh overall. He is known for being vulnerable in rough conditions, so if the wind and wash picks up on the Henley course, he may find life difficult.

Another Tokyo Olympian racing is the USA’s Ben Davison (California Rowing Club). He was a member of the US M8 that finished fourth at the Olympics. Unlike a lot of American youth rowers, he actually started as a sculler racing on the junior and U23 teams in the single. He raced in the M2X at the 2017 World Championships, and in 2018 finished fourth in the BM1X at the U23 World Championships.  He moved to the sweep team for 2019 rowing in the M8 and the World Championships and then in Tokyo. This season he has moved back to the sculling team and won a bronze medal at the Poznan World Cup (which was the first medal for a US M1X since 2011). It’s been 17 years since an American has won the Diamonds and whilst I don’t think Davison will change that, he should go far in the regatta, possibly even reaching Saturday (depending on the draw).

Bastian Secher of Danmarks Rocenter is the current Danish M1X. He raced at the Belgrade World Cup winning the B-Final and then in Poznan he finished in an excellent fourth.  He made his senior debut in 2019 racing in the M2- at the World Championships. He then switched back to sculling and won a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships in 2021 in the M1x.

Another Tokyo Olympian racing is Quentin Antognelli racing for Oxford Brookes University. The Monegasque is no stranger to the Henley course with several wins under his belt with Brookes already. He raced in the single at Tokyo finishing 15^th. He comes into Henley on the back of his best-ever result after finishing fifth in Poznan – the first time in his career he’s raced in an A-final.

Rowing Australia have three scullers entered; David Bartholot, Sam Marsh and Oscar McGuinness. Bartholot raced as AUS2 at the Poznan World Cup finishing seventh . He raced in the M2X at the 2019 World Championships finishing 12^th. Marsh made his senior debut racing as AUS1 in Poznan and finished three seconds behind Bartholot in eighth. McGuinness (son of Aussie Rules legend, Tony) was selected for the Australian U23 team in 2021 and competed at their World Cup Simulation Regatta.

Racing for Leander Club is Ukrainian international Dmytro Mikhai. He escaped to the UK after war broke out and has made his home with former Leander captain and Olympian Jack Beaumont. He raced with Leander at the Metropolitan Regatta winning Championship Eights. He’s been racing internationally since 2011 and raced at the London and Rio Olympics (finishing 11^th in the M2X in 2012 and sixth in the M4X in 2016). He won bronze in the M4X at the 2018 World Championships and in 2019 finished tenth.

Another experienced senior international competing is Maciej Zawojski of Akademicki Zwiazek Sportowy Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego, Poland. He was a member of the Polish M4X that won bronze at the 2018 European Championships and made the A-Final at the Worlds. He raced in the M2X at the first two World Cups of 2019 with a best result of fourth.

New Zealand have won this event no fewer than seven times in the last 15 regattas (thanks in no small part to Mahe Drysdale). Their candidate for 2022 is James Scott (competing for Waiariki Rowing Club). He’s part of the M4X squad and the Kiwis haven’t (yet) selected a specialist M1X for the rest of this season. Scott, from the Tauranga Rowing Club, made his international debut in Poznan finishing 19^th.

Niall Beggan from Commercial Rowing Club is the sole Irishman in the event. He’s one of a rare breed that still competes for the same club he started rowing with at the age of 14 and worked his way up through the representative ranks, racing at the Coupe de La Juenesse, and then racing at the 2017 and 2018 U23 World Championships winning a bronze medal in 2017 and silver in 2018, both in the BLM4X.

The Netherlands has two scullers in the draw; Wietse Morreau from Nereus and Joost Schwarz of Skoll. 21-year-old Morreau made his senior debut last season racing in a Netherlands M2X at the second World Cup. Schwarz, who’s also 21, raced at the U23 World Championships last season finishing 14^th in the BM4-.

Egypt don’t often compete at Henley, but Ali Hassan from Arab Contractors Rowing Club, is among the entries. He was a member of the Egyptian M4- at the 2019 World Championships finishing 21^st.

Three scullers made it through qualifying; Tom Wilkinson of Greenbank Falmouth Rowing Club, Cory Wilkinson of Leeds Rowing Club and Will Young of Cambridge 99. All three raced at the Metropolitan regatta, with Tom Wilkinson faring the best with third place. Cory Wilkinson was sixth and Young seventh. Tom Wilkinson raced the Diamonds in 2019 and 2021 (in 2021 he beat Will Young on Thursday, and US international Hugh McAdam on Friday before losing to Graeme Thomas in the semi-final).

Predictions: if conditions are benign then it’s going to be very difficult to beat Zeidler. But if the water gets a bit tricky then it could be Thomas’ opportunity to take a big scalp and retain his title. That being said, if I have to choose a winner then it’s going to be Zeidler.

About The Author

Fatsculler

See author's posts