Azou is in the number one spot thanks to an unbeaten streak of wins in the lightweight men’s double sculls. This streak goes back to 2015. Janssen heads the women’s list following her World Rowing Championship gold medal performance in the women’s quadruple sculls and a season that included a win at World Rowing Cup I and silver at the European Rowing Championships. Janssen is also a Rio Olympic silver medallist.

Germany is the most represented nation in the men’s list, with three of the ten rowers being part of the World Champion and World Best Time-setting men’s eight. Romania is the most represented nation on the women’s front, with five of its athletes making the list of Top 10 women for 2017.

2017 TOP 10 MEN

1. Jeremie Azou (France)
Lightweight sculler Azou has been undefeated since 2015. In the past three seasons, he has claimed Olympic gold, two World Championship and two European Championship titles as well as several World Rowing Cup gold medals. Azou first raced at a World Rowing regatta in 2006, at the World Rowing Junior Championships. Jeremie Azou’s bio.

2. Pierre Houin (France)
The partner of Azou in the lightweight men’s double sculls since 2016, Houin won Olympic gold in 2016 and in 2017 he won World Championship and European Championship gold as well as two World Rowing Cup gold medals. In 2015, Houin claimed the World Championship title in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls. Houin’s first World Rowing regatta was the 2011 World Rowing Junior Championships. Pierre Houin’s bio.

3. Valent Sinkovic (Croatia)
Valent Sinkovic, along with his brother Martin, owns the World Best Time in the men’s double sculls. In 2015, they won the World Rowing Championships before claiming Olympic gold in 2016. In 2017, they switched boat classes to row in the men’s pair and won two silver medals – one at World Rowing Cup level and the other at World Rowing Championship level. Valent’s first World Rowing regatta was in 2004 at the World Rowing Junior Championships. Valent Sinkovic’s bio.

=4. Mohamed Sbihi (Great Britain)
Sbihi is the reigning Olympic Champion in the men’s four. In 2015 he claimed the world title in the men’s eight and this year he finished with bronze at the World Rowing Championships in the four. Sbihi first raced at a World Rowing event in 2006 – the World Rowing Junior Championships. Mohamed Sbihi’s bio.

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=4. Martin Sinkovic (Croatia)
Martin is one year younger than his brother and rowing partner, Valent. Together they own the World Best Time in the men’s double sculls and also claimed the 2015 World Championship title and 2016 Olympic Champion title in this boat class. They switched boat classes in 2017 to row in the men’s pair and won two silver medals – one at World Rowing Cup level and the other at World Rowing Championship level. Martin’s first international competition was the 2006 World Rowing Junior Championships. Martin Sinkovic’s bio.

6. William Satch (Great Britain)
The reigning Olympic Champion in the men’s eight, Satch is also the 2015 World Champion. This year he switched to the men’s four and rowed to world bronze in Sarasota-Bradenton. He first competed on the World Rowing stage in 2009 at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships. William Satch’s bio.

7. Richard Schmidt (Germany), 8. Hannes Ocik (Germany), 9. Malte Jakschik (Germany)
From the famed German men’s eight Schmidt, Ocik and Jakschik have been mainstays in the boat. They take position seven, eight and nine on the top 10 list. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and also the previous year at the World Rowing Championships they won silver. This year they set a new World Best Time in the eight and also claimed the World Championship title. Schmidt has competed internationally for the longest, dating back to 2004. Ocik first competed internationally in 2009 and Jakschik in 2010. They all got their international start as part of the junior national team.
Richard Schmidt’s bio.
Hannes Ocik’s bio.
Malte Jakschik’s bio.

10. Alexander Hill (Australia)
Hill won World Championship silver in 2015 in the men’s four and silver again in 2016 at the Olympic Games. This year he and his crewmates became World Champions in the four, breaking a 26-year drought. Hill made his first appearance on the World Rowing stage in 2011 at the World Rowing Junior Championships. Alexander Hill’s bio.

2017 TOP 10 WOMEN

1. Inge Janssen (Netherlands)
Janssen is the new World Champion in the women’s quadruple sculls. During the 2017 season, she also won World Cup gold in the women’s double sculls and European Championship silver in the quad. In 2016, Janssen claimed Olympic silver in the quad following World Championship bronze in 2015. Janssen began competing internationally at the 2011 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Inge Janssen’s bio.

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2. Nicole Beukers (Netherlands)
Like Janssen, Beukers success has come through the women’s quad. During the 2017 season, she won two World Cup and a European Championship silver in in the quad. Last year the quad took Olympic silver and in 2015 World Championship bronze. Beukers first competed internationally at the 2007 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. Nicole Beukers’ bio.

3. Emily Regan (United States)
As a member of the very successful US women’s eight Regan has recently taken two World Championship titles (2013, 2015) and Olympic gold (2016). She also owns the World Best Time in this boat class (set in 2013). In 2017, she won World Cup bronze in the women’s eight and finished fourth in this event at the World Rowing Championships. Regan has been competing internationally since 2010. Emily Regan’s bio.

4. Adelina Bogus (Romania)
Bogus began to compete internationally in the senior women’s eight in 2009. That year, she won World Championship silver and European Championship gold as part of the boat. Since then, she has added several European Championship titles, culminating in Olympic bronze in 2016 and World Championship gold this year. Bogus first competed at a World Rowing regatta in 2004. Adelina Bogus’s bio.

5. Rebecca Scown (New Zealand)
The international career of Scown began in 2005 and at this year’s World Rowing Championship’s she added a bronze in the women’s eight. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Scown took silver in the women’s pair. This was her second Olympic silver medal, the first from London 2012, also in the pair. Scown also has a number of World Championship medals from the pair. Rebecca Scown’s bio.

6. Mihaela Petrila (Romania)
Petrila joined the women’s eight in 2014 and has been a constant member of the team since then, winning Olympic bronze in Rio and this year’s World Championship title. In 2017, she also claimed European and World Cup gold. She first competed at a World Rowing regatta in 2007. Mihaela Petrila’s bio.

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= 7. Laura Oprea (Romania), =7. Madalina Beres (Romania)
Alternating between the pair and the eight has been the story for Oprea and Beres. Together claimed Olympic bronze in the women’s eight and this year she won European gold in both the eight and in the pair, finishing the season with a World Championship gold in the eight. Oprea and Beres both began their international careers in 2010.
Laura Oprea’s bio. Madalina Beres’ bio.

9. Iuliana Popa (ROU)
Popa joined the women’s eight in 2015 and raced to seventh at the 2015 World Rowing Championships before claiming Olympic bronze the following year. This year she won gold at the European, World Cup and World Championship levels. She first competed internationally at the 2012 World Rowing Junior Championships. Iuliana Popa’s bio.

10. Victoria Thornley (Great Britain)
This year is Thornley’s first full season in the women’s single sculls. Before that it was the double where she raced to sixth place at the 2015 World Rowing Championships with partner Katherine Grainger and then claimed Olympic silver in Rio. This season, in the single, Thornley claimed European gold, one World Cup silver and World Championship silver. Thornley began competing internationally in 2009. Victoria Thornley’s bio.

The Top 10 ranking uses a formula that takes into account current year results, as well as results from the previous two years. Points are allocated according to results, World Best Time ownership and also based on the length of time each rower has competed internationally. To view a detailed explanation of the formula, click here. http://www.worldrowing.com/mm//Document/fisa/FisaGeneral/11/79/94/formulaannualtop10ranking1114_Neutral.pdf

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The year that was… under-23 rowing

Azou and Janssen head World Rowing’s top 10 list for 2017

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