New Zealand (Bronze)
The battle for the bronze is going to be intense, and I could’ve picked any one of three crews to fill this slot, but in the end I went for the Kiwis with the experienced Jackie Gowler and Kerri Williams onboard. They have both raced and won medals at the Olympics and that experience is going to be crucial. Williams is the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s pair and also won the world title in that boat class in 2019 and 2022. She took a break from international racing in 2023 but has returned this year to stroke a very potent coxless four. Gowler was world champion in the eight in 2019 and Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo. She was part of the four in 2023 with Waddy and Spoors that placed seventh at the world championships. This season, they started with a solid fourth at Lucerne and then took a convincing win at the final World Rowing Cup.
Netherlands (Silver)
The Dutch are the reigning world champions in this event and have had a consistent line-up for the last couple of seasons. Their win in Belgrade was, perhaps, against the run of form as they’d “only” managed bronze at the Europeans and were fourth in Lucerne. They showed that they could produce the result when it mattered though. None of these athletes have raced at the Olympics before – they all narrowly missed out when trying to qualify the eight for Tokyo. In 2022, the Dutch doubled-up in the coxless four and eight, winning silver in both. This season, they’ve had some decent results ,taking third at the opening World Rowing Cup behind two GB boats and then taking the runners-up spot behind the no.1 GB boat in Lucerne.
Great Britain (Gold)
If the GB men’s coxless four have been getting more vulnerable as the season progresses, the exact opposite can be said for their women’s crew. They have looked unbeatable so far this season, rowing with a beautiful, relaxed style. The British won the world title in 2022 with a line-up that included both Redgrave and Shorten. In 2023, Redgrave was injured and that year saw the return to competitive rowing of the “big” name in the crew, two-time Olympic champion, Helen Glover. It took time for the boat to gel, and they ended the season with world championship bronze. However, it’s in 2024, with the return of Redgrave, and Glover moving from the three-seat to bow, that the crew has really clicked. Led by Shorten, described by one former Olympic medallist as “the best stroke-woman in world rowing”, they have put themselves in a prime position to win gold.
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