19 Oct 2016
Who to watch at 2016 World Rowing Coastal Championships
A record number of competitors are heading to Monaco with the men’s double sculls attracting the most interest with 74 entries. The 2015 World Champions, Giuseppe Alberti and Quentin Antognelli, are back and being from Monaco makes them definite home favourites. In 2014 Italy’s Francesco Garibaldi took gold and this year he’s teamed up with a new partner, Enrico Perino, to take on the duo from Monaco. Italy has also entered Andrea Milos and Stefano Donat. Milos and Donat were the silver medallists in 2014, but finished eighth in 2015. Will the conditions suit them this year?
France’s top crew of Benoit Bride and Julien Gazaix will be a crew to look out for as well as Olympic brothers Nikolas and Apostolos Gkountoulas of Greece. The Gkountoulas twins are best known for their Olympic rowing racing, but they have also competed previously in coastal rowing finishing third in 2014.
There is little doubt that Diane Delalleau and Nathalie Collet of France are the favourites in the women’s double sculls. They are back-to-back World Champions from 2014 and 2015 and they recently won the French Championships. Chasing hard will be Kimberly Forde and Maria del Mar Ferrer Sanchez of Spain. Forde and Ferrer finished second to Delalleau and Collet over the last two years and they will be fighting for their first gold. Keep an eye out too for 2016 Olympian from the United States, Grace Latz. Despite being a first-timer at these coastal championships, Latz’s Olympic fitness must play to her advantage. Latz has teamed up with Axson Sydney.
All eyes will be on 2014 World Champion and regular coastal rower, Peter Berg of Sweden in the men’s solo. Berg finished 10th in 2015 and will be up against the 2015 World Champion, Adrian Miramon Quiroga of Spain. In Spain’s second boat is Adolfo Ferrer Marin who was third in 2015. Ferrer has a good chance of pushing the top scullers. Regular competitor this boat class, Simone Martini of Italy could be in with a medal chance. Martini was second in 2014 and finished fourth in 2015.
The double World Champion, Jessica Berra is back again to race in the women’s solo. Berra is France’s number one boat, but she was beaten last weekend at the French Championships by Edwige Alfred. Alfred took silver in 2014 and will be racing as France’s number two boat. Silver medallist from 2015, Elpis Genova is entered as Italy2 so she will have to overcome Italy1 of Veronica Paccagnella to get to the medals. Keep an eye out too for London 2012 Olympic medallist in rowing, Alexandre Tsiavou of Greece.
The women’s coxed quadruple sculls may go the way of the French. The crew from Chablais Aviron Thonon1 recently won the French Championships and they have put together a composite crew of experienced coastal rowers. France has also entered a crew that includes two international rowers, Helene Lefevbre and Elodie Ravera Scaramozzino. Their crew finished second at the French Championships and are racing as France9. But they will be up against the reigning World Champions, Spain1. This line-up remains the same as the 2015 championship boat. Watch out too for Greece. They are regularly in the medals, but there are some changes to their line-up for this year.
The favourites for the men’s coxed quadruple sculls must be Italy1. This crew is almost identical to the one that finished with silver in 2015 and they were also the World Champions in 2014. But the Monaco crew are the 2015 World Champions and being on their home course must be a huge advantage for them as they would have been able to train in all of the local sea conditions. Monaco has also returned this year with almost the same crew as 2015. Watch out too for Italy2. They have added Frederico Garibaldi to the line-up. Garibaldi took silver at the 2014 World Rowing Coastal Championships in the men’s double sculls.
Due to the high number of entries, racing begins on Thursday 20 October with qualification races. Heats will follow on 21 October and finals will be on 22 October.
For more information visit: http://www.worldrowing.com/events/2016-world-rowing-coastal-championships/event-information