Italy (Bronze)
When putting these previews together I had picked Italy as the likely silver medallists, however, that was with the pairing of Matteo Sartori and Luca Rambaldi. But, the Italian Federation have chosen to split up that established pairing, swapping Rambaldi and Carucci in the quad. Despite this, the Italians have such a strong sculling squad that I still put this duo as medal contenders. Sartori was U23 world champion in 2022 and was Italy’s male single sculler at the senior world championships that year. In 2023 he moved into the double with Rambaldi, winning silver at the Europeans and finishing fourth at the world championships. This season, they medalled at both the first and second World Rowing Cups. Carucci was in the double for the 2021 season and just missed Olympic qualification. In 2022 he moved into the quad, winning the European championships and bronze at the world championships. Last season the Italian quad with Carucci onboard medalled at the Europeans and then won silver at the world championships. This season, they won another European title and bronze at both the first and second World Rowing Cups.
Ireland (Silver)
Ireland’s Philip Doyle was a world championship silver medallist in 2019 with partner Ronan Byrne. This pairing raced in Tokyo but were somewhat disappointed with finishing back in tenth. In 2023 Doyle formed a new partnership with Daire Lynch. The new pairing made a strong start to their double act, just missing the podium at the Europeans before going on to take bronze at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup and then another bronze at the world championships. This season they’ve laid down some strong performances, winning bronze at the opening World Rowing Cup and then taking gold at the final World Rowing Cup of the season (Ireland’s first-ever gold medal in this boat class). Ireland have never won an Olympic medal in any of the open-weight men’s events but Lynch and Doyle have a really good chance to end that drought.
Netherlands (Gold)
Dutch sculling is on fire at the moment and leading the charge is the men’s double of Melvin Twellaar and Stef Broenink. This duo were silver medallists in Tokyo, and post-Olympics they split into different boats. Twellaar raced in the single, having a ding-dong battle with Ollie Zeidler throughout the season, taking the gold at the Europeans and the second World Rowing Cup and then silver at World Rowing Cup 1 and the world championships. Broenink’s 2022 season wasn’t quite as stellar; he raced in the quad that won bronze at World Rowing Cup II and then fourth at the world championships. The double came back together for 2023, taking bronze at the Europeans and then gold in Lucerne and at the world championships. They’ve picked up where they left off in 2024 and are so far unbeaten. It’s going to take something special to stop this Dutch combination from winning the Netherland’s second-ever men’s double Olympic gold (the first was Ronald Florijn and Nicolaas Rienks in Seoul 1988).
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