So here it is, the big one, the one all rowers want to race at, and for some, the culmination of years of training and dedication: it’s the Olympic Games. Finally, after months of uncertainty, it looks like the Games will happen. One thing’s for sure, these Games will be unlike any other in history. The venue is the Sea Forest Waterway, specially built for the Games and inaugurated in 2019. As the name suggests, it’s a coastal venue and has had its fair share of issues, from strong winds to oysters growing on the buoys. But when conditions are right, it’s a fantastic course.
As always, with my previews, I’ve tried to give a rundown of the form, experience and prospects of those competing. I hope that readers find this a valuable and exciting guide to those racing in Tokyo. If you have enjoyed what I write, perhaps you’d consider buying me a coffee via my Ko-Fi page https://ko-fi.com/X8X64ORYM
Current Standings:
Reigning Champions: Great Britain (Helen Glover & Heather Stanning)
Rio silver medallists: New Zealand (Genevieve Behrent & Rebecca Scown)
Rio bronze medallists: Denmark (Hedvig Rasmussen & Anne Andersen)
Australia: Annabelle McIntyre (24) & Jessica Morrison (29)
There seems a bit of a fad within the W2- field to double-up, both the Kiwis and the Australians doubled up at the 2019 World Championships, but only the Aussies are doing so in Tokyo. McIntyre and Morrison are competing in the W4- as well as the W2-. As mentioned above, McIntyre and Morrison doubled up in 2019 and won silver in both the pair and the W8 (both times beaten by New Zealand). From the Freemantle Club in Western Australia, McIntyre made her senior debut in 2018, winning a bronze medal in the W8. Morrison, from the Mercantile Cub in Melbourne, was a member of the Australian W8 that were awarded a last-minute spot at the Rio Olympics after the Russian’s were disqualified for doping. She took a break from international competition after Rio and returned in 2019 in the W8 and W2-. They won medals in both boats at the 2nd and 3rd World Cups, including W2- gold in Rotterdam.
Tokyo prospects: Silver in 2019 and victory over the Kiwis at the World Cup show the Aussies have real speed. The question is, have they carried this speed forward to 2021, having not raced for two years, and will be doubling up in the W4- hamper their chances of a medal? They will be contenders but may miss out, having potentially had twice as many races in their legs than their opposition.
Canada: Caileigh Filmer (24) & Hillary Janssens (26)
Filmer and Janssens first raced together at the 2015 U23 World Championships, winning a silver medal in the BW4-. Filmer, a student of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, made her senior debut in 2016. At 19, she stroked the Canadian W8 to 5th place at the Rio Olympics. A year later, she stroked the Canadian U23 BW8 to a World Championship gold medal. From the University of British Columbia, Janssens raced at the U23’s in 2016, winning a gold medal with Nicole Hare in the BW2- . In 2017 she sat in the 4-seat of the W8 that won silver at the World Championships. In 2018 Janssens and Filmer formed their pairs partnership and won their first senior World Championship title. 2019 saw them double-up in the pair, eight taking a bronze medal in the pair and 4th in the W8.
Tokyo prospects: with no doubling-up to worry about in Tokyo, the Canadians will be another powerful contender for a medal. One of three World Championship-winning boats in the event, they will fight for a medal, either silver or bronze.
China: Kaifeng Huang (23) & Jinchao Liu (26)
China qualified the boat for Tokyo after finishing 9th at the World Championships in 2019. However, the crew racing in Tokyo is an entirely different line-up (Xinyu Lin and Rui Ju, who raced this boat in 2019, will race in Tokyo in the W4- and the W8, respectively). For Tokyo, the crew is Kaifeng Huang and Jinchao Liu. Huang raced in the W8 in 2018 and 2019 with an 8th in 2018 and 7th in 2019. Liu made her international debut at the Lucerne World Cup, racing in the W2X with Shuangmei Shen, finishing the last nine boats.
Tokyo prospects: With so little racing experience internationally as a W2- it’s difficult to see the Chinese making any impact on this event. They will do well to avoid 13th place.
Denmark: Fie Udby Erichsen (36) & Hedvig Rasmussen (27)
Fie Udby Erichsen is one of the most seasoned campaigners in the whole of women’s rowing. Tokyo sees her return to the boat class in which she made her senior international debut back in 2005 when she finished 9th at the World Championships with Majbrit Nielsen. She won her first senior World Championship medal in the W4- at the 2008 World Championships. She switched to sculling in 2009, and after a spell in the W2X and W4X, she changed to the single. She qualified for the London Olympics via the FOQR, and on Dorney Lake, she won an outstanding silver medal (the best result for a Danish woman at an Olympic Games). She continued in the single throughout the Rio Olympiad, finishing with 9th place. She planned to race the single in Tokyo, but after failing to qualify directly in 2019, and a disappointing 8th at the 2021 European Championships, the decision was made to switch to the pair. She’s partnered by Hedvig Rasmussen. She made her senior debut racing in the W4X in 2013 and won a U23 silver medal. She changed to partner Anne Andersen at the start of the 2015 season and qualified for Rio with 4th at the World Championships. She and Andersen won bronze in Rio. In 2017 she formed a new partnership with Christina Johansen and won World Championship bronze. In 2018 she moved into the W4- and in 2019 won her 2nd World Championship bronze medal.
As a pair, Rasmussen and Udby Erichsen have 2nd place at the FOQR and took gold at the Sabaudia World Cup.
Tokyo prospects: It’ll be a real battle to reach the A-Final in such a competitive field. However, I think the Danes will miss out and end up at the top of the B-Final.
Great Britain: Helen Glover (35) & Polly Swann (33)
The big story of the GB Rowing team, possibly one of the biggest stories for the whole squad GB coming into Tokyo, was the return to competition of Helen Glover after a break of over four years. The two-time Olympic Champion has set herself the target of becoming the first mother to win a medal for British Rowing at an Olympic Games. She has an outstanding record – from 2011 to 2016; she won all but one of her pairs races (the sole defeat coming at the hands of New Zealand at the 2011 World Championships), a run of 48 consecutive wins. Eleven of those wins came with Polly Swann – including the World title in 2013 and European gold in 2014. Swann also won a European title in the W8 in 2016 and went on to win a historic silver in the W8 at the Rio Olympics. She also took a break from international competition after Rio to finish her medical studies and qualify as a Doctor. However, she returned in 2019 and raced in the W4-, qualifying the boat with 7th place. Swann and Glover reformed their pairs partnership at the start of the 2021 season and pretty much picked up where they left off; they extended their unbeaten run together in the W2- to 13 races (making it a nice round 50 unbeaten for Glover), winning gold at the European Championships. They had planned to race the Lucerne World Cup but withdrew due to a minor injury a few days before.
Tokyo prospects: In my opinion, the Glover/Swann combination was a better pair than the Glover/Stanning version. It’s exciting to see this combination back together, and their performance at the Europeans, although a bit rusty, showed they still have outstanding base speed. The question is, will it be enough? One thing about these athletes, and Glover especially, is that if they didn’t think they could win, they wouldn’t be racing.
So what do I think: my heart says they will win gold, my head says they will just come up short and get (a still outstanding) silver medal.
Greece: Christina Bourmpou (20) & Maria Kyridou (20)
The youngest crew in the event. These two have been racing together for almost their entire careers, starting gold at the Junior World Championships in 2018. They also won gold at the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 and won U23 gold in 2019. They also made their senior debuts in 2019, reaching the A-Final of the European Championships and ending the season with 11th at the World Championships (thereby securing the final direct qualifying spot for Tokyo). In 2020 they won their first senior championship medal after taking the bronze medal at the Europeans. In 2021 they just missed out on repeating their podium placing at the Europeans, missing out on the bronze by 0.5 seconds.
Tokyo prospects: Undoubtedly a talented and exciting pair. Tokyo will be a good experience for this young crew, but I think they will end with 10th or 11th place. But watch out for these two in Paris 2024 and LA 2028.
Ireland: Monika Dukarska (30) & Aileen Crowley (27)
What even happens on the Sea Forest Waterway, Monika Dukarska and Aileen Crowley will have made history by becoming the first Irish W2- to race at an Olympic Games. Dukarska started her international career in 2013, finishing 10th in the W2X at the World Championships. 2015 saw her race to 5th place in the W4-. She didn’t race on flat water in 2016 but won the CW1X event at the World Coastal Rowing Championships. In 2018 she and Crowley formed a W2X that placed 13th at the World Championships. In 2019 the two of them swapped two oars for one and moved into the W2-. 8th place in Linz saw them qualify the boat for Tokyo, and so far this season they’ve recorded an A-Final finish at the European Championships and their silver medal at the Lucerne World Cup was the first medal ever won by an Irish W2-.
Tokyo prospects: a great result in Lucerne, but it’s worth noting that only two other Olympic crews were racing. I’m not sure they will quite make the A-Final, but a mid-B-Final placing will be a strong performance for Ireland’s first Olympic women’s pair.
Italy: Kiri Tontodonati (26) & Aisha Rocek (22)
Italy reached the Olympics in this event for the first time in 2012, finishing 10th and followed that with their 2nd appearance in Rio and 11th place. Their boat for Tokyo, Kiri Tontodonati and Aisha Rocek, qualified for 6th place at the 2019 World Championships. They also took a European Championship bronze medal that year. But, for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, they were both racing in the W4-. The Italians won silver in the four at the 2020 Europeans, and in 2021 they made the A-Final. The intention was to try and qualify the W4- which would have possibly meant Tontodonati and Rocek doubling up in the pair and four (like Australia). But, 3rd at the FOQR meant that Italy failed to get the W4- to Tokyo. For the Sabaudia World Cup, Tontodonati and Rocek returned to the W2- finishing last of the six entries (what will have been of concern to the Italians is that 4 of the five boats ahead of them were non-Olympic crews).
Tokyo prospects: They will need a significant improvement on their performance in Sabaudia to make the A-Final. I predict they will be towards the back of the B-Final.
New Zealand: Kerri Gowler (27) & Grace Prendergast (29)
This duo has been the dominant force in the W2- event throughout the Tokyo Olympiad, winning the World Championships in 2017 and 2019 and taking the silver in 2018. They also doubled up in the W8 in 2019, winning another championship title. They have been rowing together for several years, and both made their debuts in the W8 at the Sydney World Cup in 2013. In 2014 they moved into the pair taking gold at the U23 World Championships and then Senior World Championship gold as members of the W4-. In 2015 they were runners-up to the British in the pair at the World Championships (as well as taking a 2nd silver medal in the W8). At the Rio Olympics, they focussed on the W8 and just missed out on a medal. Since Rio, they have been racing in both the W8 and the W2- and in that time have only been beaten four times in the pair (twice at the 2018 World Championships and twice at the Rotterdam World Cup in 2019 – taking silver at both events). The pair were initially announced as part of the W8 squad for Tokyo and would continue to double-up as they did in 2019. However, they will now just race in the pair (perhaps in response to the challenge posed by the return of Helen Glover to the GB pair?). Word coming out of the New Zealand camp is that Gowler and Prendergast are going incredibly fast and are, in training, at any rate, regularly beating the current World Best Time.
Tokyo prospects: Undoubted favourites for gold, especially now that they are not racing in the W8. It’s going to take something special to stop them from taking the title.
Romania: Adriana Ailincai (22) & Iuliana Buhus (26)
Both athletes made their senior debuts in 2018, Ailincai winning European gold in the W8 and Buhus a silver in the W4-. Ailincai then raced at the 2019 European Championships in the pair, with Maria Tivodariu winning another medal, this time silver behind Spain. The Romanians got their revenge on Spain the following season; with Ailincai now partnered by Buhus, they won the European title ahead of the Spanish. In 2021 they continued in the pair and got with 0.25 seconds of the British at the Europeans. They also raced at the Lucerne World Cup, picking up a bronze medal behind Spain and Ireland.
Tokyo prospects: I think they’ll just miss out on making the A-Final, but will take 1st in the B-Final for 7th overall.
Russian Olympic Committee: Vasilisa Stepanova (28) & Elena Oriabinskaia (27)
Winners of the Final Olympic Qualifying Regatta, this is a new combination for this season. Stepanova was U23 World Champion in the BW4X back in 2014, and in 2018 won a European bronze medal as part of the W8. In 2019 she raced in the W4- that placed 8th at the World Championships. She continued in that boat class for the 2021 European’s finishing 5th. Oriabinskaia started her senior career with a World Championship bronze medal in the W4- in 2017. She followed that up with a European gold medal in the W4- in 2018 and another W4- World Championship bronze medal. In 2019 she moved into the W8 that ended up 8th and out of the Olympic qualifying places. In 2020 Oriabinskiaia competed at the European Championships in the W4X, finishing 8th.
Tokyo prospects: Despite taking 1st in the FOQR, I think they won’t make the A-Final, and I predict 11th.
Spain: Aina Cid (26) & Virginia Diaz Rivas (29)
Spain has medalled at the last three European Championships, including taking gold in 2019. Aina Cid, partnered with Anna Boada Piero, won Spain’s first-ever Olympic-Class women’s World Championship medal after winning bronze in 2018. She and Boada Piero also became the first Spanish W2- to qualify for the Olympics and only the 2nd Spanish women’s boat to reach an Olympic A-Final (the first being Nuria Dominguez in the W1X in 2004). After Boada Piero retired in 2019, Diaz Rivas, racing as Spain’s W1X, moved into the pair. She made an immediate impact, with the duo winning European gold and reaching the world Championship A-Final. They won medals at the 2020 and 2021 European Championships and then gold at the Lucerne World Cup.
Tokyo prospects: probably the 2nd fastest European crew in the event. I’m predicting an A-Final appearance, but it probably won’t be challenging for the medals – 6th.
USA: Megan Kalmoe (37) & Tracy Eisser (31)
Kalmoe is heading to her 4th Olympic Games and has a bronze medal from the W4X in London. She started her career in 2006, winning U23 gold in the BW4- and raced in the W2X in Beijing, reaching the A-Final. After taking W4X bronze in London, she switched to the pair, winning World Championship silver with Kerry Simmonds. Eisser started her senior career in 2014, winning bronze in the W4X. She remained in the W4X for 2015, along with Kalmoe, were members of the crew that won the USA’s first-ever women’s quad World Championship gold. The team were bitterly disappointed to miss out on a medal in Rio. In 2017 Eisser and Kalmoe formed a pair, winning silver behind the Kiwis at the World Championships. In 2018 Eissr won another World Championship gold, this time as part of the W8. After taking a break in 2018, Kalmoe returned for 2019, and she and Eisser just missed out on another World Championship medal.
Tokyo prospects: Another strong medal contender – not sure they will quite be able to challenge New Zealand and GB for gold and silver. Still, I reckon they will be in a three-way fight for the bronze with Australia and Canada, and I suspect the US will win that battle.
Conclusion and Predictions:
Medal picks: As much as it pains me to say so, I think the Kiwis will be just too quick for the British and will take the gold. GB in silver and the USA in bronze.
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