18 May 2022
Entries are released for the 2022 World Rowing Cup I in Belgrade
The 2022 World Rowing Cup I takes place on Sava Lake in Belgrade, Serbia from 27 to 29 May 2022, with 36 countries participating – the biggest contingents coming from The Netherlands, China and Great Britain.
The men’s single sculls has attracted the largest number of entries and includes the reigning Olympic Champion, Stefanos Ntouskos of Greece. He will have to compete against World and European Rowing Champion Oliver Zeidler of Germany, but also the World Rowing Under 23 Champion, Emil Neykov of Bulgaria, and Melvin Twellaar, silver medallist in Tokyo in the men’s double sculls.
This event will also feature the highly anticipated return of Martin and Valent Sinkovic of Croatia in the men’s double sculls. The brothers have a collection of Olympic medals, won in three different boat classes: a silver in the men’s quadruple sculls from London 2012, a gold in the double sculls from Rio 2016, and a second gold, but this one in the men’s pair, from Tokyo 2020. They are now back in a tough boat class where, in the absence of the Olympic Champions from France, the main competition for the Sinkovics may come from The Netherlands. Olympic silver medallist Stef Broenink will be teaming up with Koen Metsemakers, Olympic Champion in the men’s quadruple sculls.
With the Sinkovic brothers switching back to the double sculls, the field in the men’s pair is wide open. Hometown heroes Milos Vasic and Martin Vackovic are hoping to perform well in front of their local crowd, after a 5th place finish in Tokyo. Great Britain will be testing three new combinations in the Men’s Pair with many Tokyo 2020 Olympians, including Tom George, who set a new indoor World Record in the men’s 5000m in February 2022.
The women’s single sculls has Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Magdalena Lobnig of Austria meeting Rio 2016 bronze medallist in the double sculls, Lithuania’s Donata Karaliene. Karaliene had retired after Rio, but decided to come back in time for last year’s Olympic Games. Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist from the Dutch double, Lisa Scheenaard, will be in the single in Belgrade.
The women’s double sculls may turn into a Dutch showdown with Olympic silver medallists in the women’s four, Ymkje Clevering and Veronique Meester, facing off against bronze medallist from the women’s double sculls, Roos de Jong, who is teaming up with Laila Youssifou.
Among China’s large delegation, they are boating two women’s eights, two women’s fours, and a women’s quadruple sculls, in which they are the reigning Olympic champions. From that gold medal crew, Yang Lyu and Xiatong Ciu will be racing in Belgrade.
Para-rowing will be offered at the 2022 World Rowing Cup I, and six PR1 men’s single scullers will line up, with Paralympic silver medallist Erik Horrie of Australia looking to be at the top of the field. Benjamin Pritchard of Great Britain and Michel Munoz Malagon of Mexico are likely to be the toughest opposition.
As the first World Rowing regatta of the season and the first race in this post-Olympic and post-Paralympic year, Belgrade will be an opportunity for crews to check on the progress they have made in off-season training, and to find their swing in this new and shorter Olympic/Paralympic cycle. It is also a time for new rowers to come through into the senior ranks following inevitable post-Tokyo retirements or the usual year off by others.
Racing begins on Friday 27 May with Heats and Repechage rounds, and will continue through to semi-finals, with finals on Sunday 29 May. Saturday and Sunday racing will be live streamed on www.worldrowing.com.
For the full list of entries, visit the 2022 World Rowing Cup I event page.