From Tokyo 2020, looking forward: The single sculls

It takes a special type of athlete, both mentally and physically, to compete internationally in the single sculls. The reasons to be a single sculler are mixed and varied. For some it’s a matter of necessity – they’re the only rower from their country of they don’t have anyone else to row with. For some it’s convenience. The single gives you the freedom to pick when and where you row without relying on team mates. For some it’s the love of being completely self-reliant. There’s no one else to blame and no one to blame you when the stroke is not right or the race doesn’t go to plan.

The 2022 World Rowing season is bearing down on us, and as we move towards the first races of the international season we are reviewing a selection of our Olympic and Paralympic boat classes. The end of an Olympic and Paralympic cycle always means changes are coming – coaches change the nations they are working with, some athletes retire, some athletes stick around, but focus more on their family life or academic life.

Step on in for a look at one of rowing’s most loved boat classes. The single sculls.

What went on in 2021?

European Rowing Championships

For some this was the first international race in a long time, especially with all of the issues caused by the global pandemic. This was not the case for Russia’s Hanna Prakatsen who came to the European Champs off the back of winning the European Olympic Qualification Regatta just four days before. After overtaking a fast start by Victoria Thornley of Great Britain in the women’s final, Prakatsen led to the end with Jeannine Gmelin of Switzerland coming through in third.

The big guns were all there for the men’s final with Germany’s Oliver Zeidler and Denmark’s Sverri Nielsen leading the way at the start. Zeidler powered home for the win with Nielsen holding on to second over a strong finish by Natan Wegrzycki-Szymczyk of Poland.

World Rowing Cup Series

World Rowing Cup I had Austria’s Magdalena Lobnig winning by open water over a watered-down field that was missing some of the big players in the women’s final. Kristyna Fleissnerova of the Czech Republic took second with Serbia in third. Prakatsen showed up at World Cup II and won by open water. This left 2019 World Champion, Sanita Puspure of Ireland to battle for second. She was piped at the finish by Kara Kohler of the United States. World Cup III saw quite a different field with many of the top scullers missing. The win was taken by Diana Dymchenko of Ukraine who is the coastal World Champion. She was followed by Dutch sculler Sophie Souwer with Lola Anderson of Great Britain in third.

Oliver Zeidler of Germany was all style and confidence in the men’s final of World Cup I. He was not challenged by Kjetil Borch of Norway in second and Damir Martin of Croatia in third. Zeidler kept the winning coming at World Cup II. This time he fronted the biggest boat class of the regatta and held off Nielsen and Borch to take the win. Zeidler was unable to hold his winning streak at World Cup III, albeit only just. In a very tight finish Borch took the win with Nielsen in second and Zeidler in third. But there was nothing in it with just 0.35 seconds separating the top three boats. Borch was later on relegated to 6th place in the A-final following a violation of the Commercial Publicity, Sponsorship, Advertising and Identifications Rules.

The Olympic Games

The road to the men’s final proved to be full of surprises, one of the biggest being the absence of Zeidler. The German had to contend with a lesser final after struggling in challenging conditions. This saw Borch shoot out into first in the A-final. Nielsen followed in second with relative newcomer Stefanos Ntouskos of Greece in third. Ntouskos, 24, had come through the junior ranks and had mainly been in team boats. In the second half of the race Ntouskos proved he was able to hold the leaders pace and then in the final sprint he overtook Borch with Martin squeezing through to bronze ahead of Nielsen.

Results: GRE, NOR, CRO, DEN, ROC, LTU

It took until the women’s final for former World Champion Emma Twigg of New Zealand to meet the rising star of this season, Prakatsen. Twigg had finished fourth at the Rio Olympics and considered hanging up her oars. But she came back for another go with the Olympics being her first international regatta since finishing second at the 2019 World Rowing Championships. Twigg rowed the perfect race and set out with a good margin to hold off Prakatsen. But the Russian Olympic Committee’s athlete’s strong finish did earn her silver after overtaking Lobnig. Twigg’s crossed the line with a new Olympic Best Time.

Results: NZL, ROC, AUT, GBR, SUI, CHN

Now that’s noteworthy

• Following his bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, Damir Martin became a father for the first time.
• Gennaro Di Mauro left Italy behind and went off to study in the United States. He’s attending UC Berkeley and, no doubt, rowing.
• Carling Zeeman of Canada is taking the 2022 season off, sort of. She’s competing in Row to Alaska (over 1000 km of rowing).
• Mindaugas Griskonis will be witnessing rowing from a different angle. He’s become the President of the Lithuanian Rowing Federation.
• Peter Purcell-Gilpin of Zimbabwe became a father. His partner is former Olympic rower Micheen Thornycroft.
• Emma Twigg and her partner became mothers in April.
• Anneta Kyridou, the women’s single scull from Greece, is back continuing her studies at Ohio State University, alongside her sister Maria Kyridou.

Onto greener pastures (or blue-er waters)

• Victoria Thornley of Great Britain announced her retirement.
• Sanita Puspure of Ireland won’t be competing but she hasn’t completely hung up her oars. Sanita has taken up a coaching position.

Crystal ball gazing

All of the big-hitters in the men’s game look to be back for 2022 and there’s every indication that Oliver Zeidler will come out swinging. Zeidler, 24, is only just beginning his rowing career, and is looking to take home top honours at this year’s European Rowing Championships in his home town of Munich. His grandfather became Olympic Champion on the same waters back at the 1972. But now Zeidler will also have to contend with new Olympic Champion Ntouskos, who is of a similar age. Ntouskos has been competing for many years, including racing in the Lightweight Men’s Four at the 2016 Olympic Games, but seems to have found his swing just in time for the 2020 Olympic final. Let’s see what experienced single scullers Damir Martin, Kjetil Borch and Sverri Nielsen decide to do this season. If they are back to race, then they will surely be hot contenders for medals.

Emma Twigg has recently been selected as New Zealand’s single sculler for World Rowing Cup III, and will be teaming up with Lucy Spoors in the Double Sculls as well. She must be coming into this season relaxed and doing it for the love of the sport. She will face Magdalena Lobnig who has been training hard through the off-season and it’s very likely that Jeannine Gmelin will be back for more. But watch out for some newcomers to the single. Will some of those team boat rowers decide to go solo and shake up the singles field?

On the 2022 Calendar:

2022 World Rowing Cup I – Belgrade, Serbia, 27-29 May
2022 World Rowing Cup II – Poznan, Poland, 17-19 June
2022 World Rowing Cup III – Lucerne, Switzerland, 8-10 July
2022 European Rowing Championships – Munich, Germany, 11-14 August
2022 World Rowing Championships – Racice, Czech Republic, 18-25 September