Photo Credit: World Rowing / Benedict Tufnell
M2-
2019 Champions: Martin Sinkovic & Valent Sinkovic (Croatia)
Entries: 19
With the reigning world and Olympic champions from Croatia moving back to their preferred boat, the men’s pair event has been blown wide open.
Based on this season’s form it’s the British pairing of Tom George and Ollie Wynne-Griffith who will start as marginal favourites in Racice. They were both members of the M8 that won bronze in Tokyo and were also members of this year’s losing Cambridge Blue Boat. But when they came together as a pair for the World Cup season, they made an instant impact. Victory at the first World Cup was followed by a narrow defeat to the Kiwis at Henley. George and Wynne-Griffith got revenge a week later with a comprehensive victory in Lucerne at the final World Cup. They were surprised, and disappointed to be beaten by Romania at the Europeans but it’s worth remembering that Romania tends to prioritise the European Championships so were mostly likely more “race-ready” than GB. This most definitely won’t be the case in Racice.
For their part, Romania, Marius Cozmiuc and Sergiu Bejan, also competed at the Tokyo Games. Cozmuic won silver in the pair (partnered by Ciprian Tudosa). Bejan was a member of the Romanian M8 that finished seventh. This season they opened their campaign with an unspectacular seventh place in Lucerne before going on to claim the European title in Munich.
Runners-up to the British in Lucerne was Australia, Harley Moore and Alex Hill. Hill is a highly experienced rower and was a member of the Aussie M4- from 2015 through to the Tokyo Olympics, winning the World Championships twice, silver in Ro and Olympic gold in Tokyo. Harley Moore is far less experienced – he was U23 World Champion in 2017 and then switched to competitive cycling but returned to rowing at the start of 2022 and made his senior debut at the Lucerne World Cup.
New Zealand have dominated this event in the last decade with the legendary “Kiwi Pair”. Taking over that mantel are Matt Macdonald and Tom Mackintosh. Both were members of the M8 that won an historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and then moved into the pair at the start of this season. They’ve been rowing together since their U23 days, winning bronze in the BM4- in 2018 and then finishing fifth in the M4- at the 2018 World Championships before joining the M8 for the 2019 season. As a pair they’ve been a little bit inconsistent this season. Victory over the British at Henley was followed by a relatively disappointing fourth at the Lucerne World Cup. They will undoubtedly be contenders for a medal, but I don’t think it’ll be for the gold.
Over the past two or three years Spain has slowly been developing a very strong men’s squad and their pair of Jaime Canalejo Pazos and Javier Garcia Ordonez have been at the forefront of that development. They’ve been racing together as a pair since 2018, making the A-Final at the World Championships and then won bronze at the 2019 Europeans (the first championship medal in this event for Spain since 1985). They made the A-Final at the Tokyo Olympics and enjoyed an impressive start to the 2022 season, finishing runners-up to the British in Belgrade and then making the A-Final in Lucerne. At the Munich European Championships, they repeated their bronze medal-winning performance from 2019. A medal might be beyond their reach, but an A-Final finish is a definite possibility.
Lithuania are represented by twins Dovydas and Domantas Stankunas. The 22-year-olds won silver at both the 2021 and 2022 U23 World Championships and this season also placed eighth at the Belgrade World Cup before taking an excellent fourth at the Europeans (the best-ever result for Lithuania in this boat class at a major senior championships). An A-Final placing is possibly a step too high for the brothers, but they will be one’s to watch in the coming years.
Serbia’s Milos Vasic and Martin Mackovic have been racing together as a pair since 2019, winning the B-Final at the World Championships. They made the A-Final at the Tokyo Olympics and also won European bronze. This season they have World Cup medals from both Belgrade and Lucerne and at the Europeans had a slightly disappointing result, finishing at the back of the A-Final. They will be looking to make the A-Final in Racice but could well find themselves towards the top of the B-Final.
The USA are represented by two Tokyo Olympians, Michael Grady and Justin Best. Grady, a graduate of Cornell, was a member of the U23 BM8 that won gold in 2018 and was in the fifth-placed M4- in Tokyo. Best, a Drexel alumnus, was also in the gold medal U23 boat in 2018 and was then selected for the Tokyo M8 which finished fourth. This season they’ve raced once, at the Poznan World Cup, where they finished in bronze medal position.
The Netherlands has been represented by Nikki Van Sprang and Leonard van Lierop for most of the season (a combination that won silver in Poznan). However, those two have been moved into the M8, so instead the Dutch have Bjorn van Den Ende and Nelson Ritsema racing inn the pair. They are both Tokyo Olympians, van Den Ende from the fifth placed M8 and Ritsema the sixth placed M4-. This season they raced in both the M8 and M4-at the Belgrade World Cup, winning silver in the M8 and fourth in the M4-. For Poznan they stayed with the M4- finishing fourth and then for the Europeans they debuted as the pair and placed tenth.
My picks: I think the British will still be the crew to beat in Racice and I don’t think anyone will be able to do it. GB for gold with the battle for silver and bronze between the Aussies, Kiwis and Americans. Australia in silver and the USA pipping the Kiwis to take the final podium place.
W2-
2019 champions: Grace Prendergast & Kerri Williams (New Zealand)
Entries: 15
The Kiwis, Grace Prendergast and Kerri Williams, are one of the outstanding crews in all of world rowing. They were U23 World Champions back in 2014 and were senior World Championship silver medallists in 2015. They dominated the field during the Tokyo Olympiad, winning the World Championships in 2017 and 2019 and were (surprise) runners-up in 2018. They have also been doubling-up in the W8, winning the world championships in that boat class in 2018 and 2019. At the Tokyo Olympics they won gold in the pair and silver in the W8. This season they raced at the Lucerne World Cup but were pushed all the way to the line by Romania, just sneaking the gold by 1/tenth of a second. They will still be starting in Racice as very strong favourites.
As mentioned above, the Romanians pushed the Kiwis very close in Lucerne. Ioana Vrinceanu and Denisa Tilvescu raced in the W8 that won the European Championships in 2020 and 2021 and then went on to finish sixth in Tokyo. This season, as well as winning silver in the pair in Lucerne, they won bronze in the W8 and then went on to take the gold at the Europeans (Romania’s ninth win in 14 years).
It’s fair to say that the British Women’s sweep squad had a disappointing Olympics, with the eight finishing last and both the pair and 4- missing out on medals. However, the new season has seen the British step-up across the board. Although there’s no eight competing, both the W4- and the W2- will start as serious contenders for the medals. Esme Booth and Emily Ford race in the W2-. Ford raced in the W8 in Tokyo and Booth made her senior debut at the Sabaudia world Cup in 2021 (finishing fourth in the W4-). But as a pair these two have really made their mark. They won gold in Belgrade and then bronze in Lucerne. At the Europeans they doubled-up in the pair and the 8-winning silver in both. The probably don’t (yet) have the speed to challenge the Kiwis for the gold but will definitely be in the battle for the minor medals.
Another nation hoping to be in the mix for the medals are The Netherlands. They have the pairing of Olympians Ymjke Clevering and Veronique Meester. They were both members of the gold medal winning U23 BW4- in 2017 and finished fourth in the W8 in 2018. They moved into the W4- for the 2019 season, taking the gold at the Europeans and silver at the Worlds. They also won European gold in 2020 and 2021 and then silver at the Tokyo Olympics. They’ve been racing in a selection of different boat classes throughout the 2022 season; in Belgrade they won gold in the W8 and came fourth in the W2X; in Poznan they won gold in both the W8 and W2- and then at the Europeans it was bronze in both the eight and pair. They are doubling up again in Racice, so it’ll be interesting to see how they cope with the extra races.
The USA are represented by two members of their Tokyo Olympic W4-, Claire Collins and Maddy Wanamaker. Collins, a graduate from Princeton, won U23 medals in 2018 and 2019 before making her senior debut in the W4- in Tokyo. Wanamaker, who started rowing as a walk-on at Wisconsin, won World Championship gold in the W4- in 2018. They won the pairs trial at the US Selection Regatta this year and then went on to race at the Poznan World Cup where they picked up a silver medal.
Among the other crews to watch out for are Ireland (Natalie Long and Tara Hanlon – silver medallists in the W4- at the Europeans), and the Czech Republic (Ivana and Jospia Jurkovic– 2021 U23 World Champions and fifth at the 2022 Europeans).
My picks: Can’t see anyone beating the Kiwis, but behind them it’s going to be close, Romania in silver and the British in bronze.
LM2-
2019 Champions: Giuseppe di Mare & Raffaele Serio (Italy)
Entries: 8
Not an event that gets raced very often as there were no races during the World Cup series and only a three-boat event at the Europeans.
Hungary may start as marginal favourites. Bence Szabo and Kalman Furko finished fourth at the 2019 World Championships and won the European title in both 2021 and 2022 (both of which were three-boat events).
The Czech Republic have the highly experienced Jiri Kopac at bow. He started his international career in 2003 and raced in the LM4- at both the London and Rio Olympics. He finished fifth in this boat class (partnered by Jan Hajek) in 2019. For 2022 he’s partnered by Milan Viktora, silver medallist in the LM4x at the 2018 European Championships.
Italy are traditionally very strong in lightweight rowing. For Racice they have Alessandro Durante and Giovanni Ficarra. Ficarra is a two-time U23 World Champion and he and Durante won gold in the LM2- at the Sabaudia World Cup in 2021.
The USA is represented by two athletes making their international debuts, Harrison Tsavaris and Justin Stevens. They both were members of the LM4X that finished third at the 2019 Canadian Henley and this season won the LM2- at the US Nationals.
Turkey has a crew of juniors racing at the World Championships, Ahmet Ali Kabadayi and Alper Eren. Kabadayi won silver in the JM2x and Eren was fifth in the JM4+.
Moldova’s pair of Dmitrii Zincenco and Nichita Naumciuc were fifth at the U23 World Championships this season and last year finished third out of three at the 2021 Europeans.
The final two crews racing are Egypt (Hossam El Din Azouz & Ibrahim Elserougy) and Hong Kong (Sam Tung Lam and Wai Chun Wong – 12th in the BLM2x in 2019).
My picks: Hungary in gold, Italy in silver and the Czech Republic in bronze.
LW2-
2019 Champions: Margaret Bertasi & Cara Stawicki (USA)
Entries: 4
Racice will be the first time this boat class will have been raced since the 2010 World Championships. None of the athletes competing have any senior experience but the Italian duo of Maria Zerboni and Samantha Premerl won the U23 World Championships in both 2021 and 2022.
Germany has Eva Hohoff and Sophia Wolf. Hohoff won silver in the BLW2X at the 2021 U23 World Championships, and Wolf took gold in the BLW4X at the 2019 European U23 Championships.
The USA crew features Solveig Imsdahl and Elaine Tierney. Imsdahl raced at the 2012 U23’s and at the 2019 Pan-Ams (winning bronze in the W4X). Tierney was a member of the U23 team in 2021 finishing tenth in the BL2X. tis pair won their place on the team with victory at the 2022 US Nationals.
The final crew in the event are Brazil – Luana de Souza Fagundes and Isadora Helena Greve – who both make their international debuts in Racice.
My picks: Italy in gold with Germany in silver and the USA in bronze.
PR3 M2-
2019 Champions: Kyle Fredrickson & Andrew Todd (Canada)
Entries: 5
Overwhelming favourites in this event will be the British, Ollie Stanhope and Ed Fuller. They are both members of the dominant PR3 Mix4+ and are doubling-up in Racice. Stanhope joined the 4+ in 2017 and is unbeaten since, including gold at the Paralympics and three World Championship titles. He’s also raced the PR3 pair once, taking gold at the second World Cup of 2018. His partner, Ed Fuller, is 19 and a member of Exeter Rowing Club. He joined the GB Para squad this season and won gold at Gavirate, the Belgrade World Cup and the European Championships.
The battle for the silver and bronze will most likely be between Australia and France. Australia is represented by Nick Beales and Tom Birtwhistle. Birtwhistle was a member of the PR3 Mix4+ that finished fourth in Tokyo. 21-year-old Beale made his international debut this season as a member of the PR3 Mixed 4+. The Mixed 4+ raced at the Belgrade World Cup, finishing runners-up to the British. Birtwhistle and Beales also wanted to race the PR3 M2- but they were the only entry, so instead they raced in the M2-. Unsurprisingly they finished last, but it was useful experience for them to have a number of races as a pair.
Rowing for France is Antoine Jesel and Remy Taranto. They have been members of the French Para-rowing squad since 2009 and competed in the mixed 4+ at the London, Rio and Tokyo Paralympics. They won World Championship bronze in 2019 and European silver in 2021. The highlight of their careers to date came in Tokyo when they came away with a Paralympic bronze medal.
Ukraine, in the shape of Andrii Syvykh and Dmytro Herez, are one of the few countries in the field to have actually raced the PR3 M2- this season. They finished second at the Poznan World Cup (behind a French crew of Jerome Hamelin and Laurent Cadot). Syvykh also raced in this boat class at the 2019 Worlds (partnered by Maksym Zhuk) finishing fourth. Herez was a member of the Mixed 4+ that finished sixth in 2018 and eighth the year after.
The final crew in the event is Japan. Their crew of Toshihiro Nishioka and Ryohei Ariyasu both raced in the Mixed 4+ at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 12th.
My picks: It would be a surprise if anyone got within sight of the British pair. GB’s PR3 squad are, quite frankly, streets ahead of their opposition so this should be a very comfortable victory. I’m going for the Aussies to win the battle for the silver ahead of the French in bronze.
PR3 W2-
2019 Champions: Molly Moore & Jaclyn Smith (USA)
Entries: 3
As in the men’s PR3 2- it’ll be the British who start as favourites. Francesca Allen and Giedre Rakauskaite are both members of the all-conquering PR3 mixed 4+. 20-year-old Allen, a trainee physiotherapist currently studying at Oxford Brookes, joined the crew this season and has wins in Gavirate, the Belgrade World Cup and the European Championships. Rakauskaite moved to the UK from Lithuania in 2011 and has been a member of the GB para-rowing squad since 2017. She won World Championship gold as a member of the PR3 Mixed 4+ in 2017 and 2019 and then Paralympic gold in Tokyo.
Italy are racing with Ludovica Tramontin and Greta Muti. As with many PR3 athletes they are also members of their country’s mixed 4+. Muti won bronze in the Mixed 4+ in 2019 and also raced in the PR3 W2- that year, finishing in second in a two-boat race behind the USA. The Italians won the Mixed 4+ at the 2020 Europeans (an event in which the British didn’t compete) and then in 2021 finished fifth at the Paralympics. Tramontin joined the Italian para-rowing squad this season. As a pair they entered the Gavirate regatta, but as they were the only entry, they ended up racing against the PR3 M2-, but this wasn’t a hindrance as they won silver on the first day and gold on the Sunday. They also raced the PR3 W2- at the Poznan World Cup, winning a straight final from the French.
The final crew in the event is Australia, Alex Vuillermin and Alex Viney. They were both in the mixed 4+ that finished fourth at the 2019 World Championships and Viney was in the boat in Tokyo that also finished fourth. As with their male counterparts, they entered the PR3 pair at the Belgrade World Cup only to find they had no opposition, so they ended up racing the W2- event.
My picks: Great Britain ahead of Italy with Australia missing out on a medal (World Rowing rules state you actually have to beat another crew to win a medal, so with only three crews racing there will only be gold and silver medals awarded).
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