The Parkside Trophy this year has a stacked field, including former Under 23 internationals, BUCS medallists, former Henley Women’s Regatta winners, Lightweight Boat race winners, and four international entries. It’s a hugely exciting event that shows, even in the face of lightweight rowing been axed from the Olympic program post the Paris Olympics in 2024, there is still demand for the event at this level, and the opportunity for hugely competitive and high calibre racing amongst both domestic and international crews.
The first of the international crews entered are the Harvard Radcliffe crew, made up of Ava Sack and Elsa Andrews. Both athletes recently were part of Radcliffe’s Lightweight Eight which finished fifth at the recent IRA National Championships. As a pair, they also represented the USA in the lightweight pair at the 2022 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, finishing in fifth place.
The other American university represented is Princeton, who have entered two lightweight pairs from their program. Their ‘A’ pair is Bonnie Pushner and Madeleine Polubinski. Both seasoned athletes at Princeton, Polubinski has a bronze medal from last years Eastern Sprints Varsity, while Pushner was part of Princeton’s Lightweight crew that won the Lightweight Four at the IRA’s this year. Pushner also has an Under 23 USA vest, having competed in the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships where she picked up a bronze medal.
The second pair from Princeton are Mimi French and Nathalie Verlinde. Verlinde is the more experienced of the two racing for Princeton, and is a multiple IRA champion, having won gold in the lightweight Eight for Princeton in both 2021 and 2022, and going on to win once again this year, this time in the four.
The composite German crew from KRV 77 from Cologne and Etuf Essen are Laura Heinemann and Pia Otto. Heinemann was part of the German Lightweight Quad at the European Under 23 Rowing Championships in 2021, while Otto picked up a silver medal in that event back in 2020. Their season has been going well so far, including their win at German Small Boats Champions in the lightweight pair.
From the UK crews one of the strongest entries is that from Durham University. They were the dominant university at this years BUCS in the lightweight women’s events, winning the Lightweight coxless four, the quad and taking both first and second place in the lightweight pair, showing the impressive strength and growth of their lightweight program. Racing at Henley Women’s Regatta in the lightweight pair is their second place crew at BUCS, Ella Thomson and Megan Finn.
Cambridge University won this event last year, but it’s a different pair they’ve entered this year. Their 2023 representation is Olivia Alliott and Maddie Jackson, who were part of the winning Cambridge crew from this year’s lightweight Boat Race. However, since then they failed to make the A final of BUCS and will face tougher competition from both the domestic and international crews who have entered this year.
The other domestic representation to keep an eye on is the composite Molesey BC and Surrey University crew of Sacha Kennedy and Claudia Williams. Kennedy has historically performed well at Henley Women’s Regatta, coming second in this event last year, and winning the aspirational lightweight singles event in 2021. She’s racing this year with Williams, who was one of the Cambridge lightweight spares in 2021.
Predictions
For many of these crews it will be their first time racing one another, which makes the comparative strength of the crews trickier to determine. Radcliffe’s pedigree as a pair makes them strong contenders, as does the KRV 77/Etuf Essen composite. Princeton’s program is strong, and one would expect their A pairing to be competitive. From the domestic scene, Durham looked best positioned off the back of their season so far to challenge. There’s plenty of potential for upsets and unexpected results mixed in amongst high calibre racing from top lightweight athletes.
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