Rowers to Watch at the 2022 World Rowing Cup I in Belgrade

The 2022 World Rowing Cup Series will get underway this weekend in Belgrade, Serbia as rowers from 36 nations take to the water to see how their winter training has gone. As the first on water World Rowing event of the Paris 2024 cycle, there are lots of new faces and changed combinations so racing is expected to be exciting.

Women’s Pair (W2-)

Croatia’s Jurkovic twins have had much success at U23 level and now moved up to senior competition, and will certainly be ones to watch. Ivana and Josipa won gold in this boat class at both the World and European U23 Championships last year, not the mention a gold and silver at the 2021 World Rowing Cups I and III. Another pair of sisters worth keeping an eye on will be Antonia and Melita Abraham from Chile; the pair raced together at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne last year, where they finished second. The Abrahams are two out of four quadruplets: one of their brothers will also be competing in Belgrade in the Men’s Pair. The Australian Women’s pair of Alex Vuillermin and Alexandra Viney was originally entered in the PR3 W2-, but decided to move over when they were the only entry in that boat class. Several of the athletes are doubling up into the women’s eight so it will be interesting to see how they juggle the demands.

Men’s Pair (M2-)

With 22 entries, this of one of the biggest boat classes of the regatta. Several nations have multiple boats entered, with Great Britain having three. The British boats include four Tokyo Olympians, with three from the bronze medal winning eight, so will certainly be boats to watch. Lithuania’s twins Domantas and Dovydas Stankunas had success at U23 level last season winning gold at the European Rowing U23 Championships and silver at the World Rowing U23 Championships in this boat class, and Turkey’s Kaan Aydin and Aydin Sahin took bronze at the World Rowing U23s, so these boats are certainly ones to keep an eye on to see how they make the transition into senior racing. Also racing are two A-finalist crews from Tokyo – the Spaniards Jaime Canalejo Pazos, and Javier Garcia Ordonez, as well as home town favourites Milos Vasic and Martin Mackovic, winners of the 2021 World Rowing Cup II.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

Netherlands2 of Ymjke Clevering and Veronique Meester will be an interesting boat to watch. These two won silver in the Dutch women’s four at Tokyo, having previously won gold in that boat at the last two World Cups last season, as well as at the 2020 and 2021 European Rowing Championships. At this regatta, they will race in both the double and the women’s eight. Netherlands1 is also expected to be strong as Olympic bronze medalist in this boat class Roos De Jong teams up with Laila Youssifou, who came 4^th in the quadruple sculls in Tokyo. The Greek double includes Evangelia Fragkou, who picked up four sculling medals last year across the World and European Championships at both Junior and U23 level, and Zoi Fitsiou, who has competed at previously as a lightweight, as well as in coastal rowing, so it will certainly be one to watch!

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

The men’s double sculls is another bumper boat class with 22 entries. All eyes will undoubtedly be on Croatia’s Sinkovic brothers. Martin and Valent make the switch into the double sculls this season, after spending an Olympiad in the men’s pair, in which they are the reigning Olympic, World and European Champions. They are likely to face competition from experienced Dutch scullers Koen Metsemakers and Stef Broenink, who won Olympic medals in the men’s quad and men’s double respectively in Tokyo last year. The Swedish double of Eskil Borgh and Denis Gustavsson are the 2021 World Rowing Coastal Champions in the CM2x. Keep an eye too on the young Greek double, both of whom won gold medals at last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships.

Women’s Four (W4-)

There are six entries from five nations in the women’s four, with China fielding two boats. Poland will be worth a watch; all four of the crew won medals at last year’s European Rowing U23 Championships – two in this boat class and two in the women’s quad. The British four has two returners from the crew which finished fourth in Tokyo; Rowan McKellar and Rebecca Shorten, who will be joined by Samantha Redgrave and Heidi Long, the latter having plenty of international racing experience.

Men’s Four (M4-)

The Netherlands have entered a staggering four boats in the men’s four, and will certainly be hoping to make the podium with at least one crew. Netherlands2 has two of their men’s four and two of their men’s eight from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Denmark has entered a very young crew, all of whom raced at last year’s European Rowing U23 Championships – Tobias Bork Kristensen is just 19 years old and will be making his senior debut. Great Britain will race a new line-up in this boat class with three members of their crew having won gold medals at the 2019 World Rowing U23 Championships. As always, Poland will be a crew to keep an eye on in; two of the crew, Mikolaj Burda and Mateusz Wilangowski, are reigning world champions in the men’s four and Tokyo Olympians.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

This boat class will see 24 women go head to head, and there is a wealth of experience among the competitors. Thirteen of the entrants are Tokyo Olympians, but only three of them raced in this boat class in Tokyo: Magdalena Lobnig of Austria, Lovisa Claesson of Sweden, and Jovana Arsic of Serbia. Lobnig took bronze at last year’s Olympic Games and will be hoping to be on the podium in Belgrade. China’s Yunxia Chen won gold in the women’s quad in Tokyo and will be looking to translate her sculling strength into the single sculls. There are three other scullers from China including Zifeng Wang, who won bronze in the women’s eight in Tokyo. Lisa Scheenaard of the Netherlands has spent the last couple of seasons in the double sculls, including winning Olympic bronze in Tokyo, she will line up against fellow Dutch competitor Karolien Florijn, who won silver in Tokyo in the women’s four, but has much sculling experience from earlier in her career.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

With 30 entries, the men’s single sculls is the biggest boat class of the regatta, and it is a stacked field with ten of the scullers being Tokyo Olympians. Stefanos Ntouskos from Greece took gold in this boat class in Tokyo and will be hoping to repeat that in Belgrade. He is likely to face opposition from Dutch sculler Melvin Twellaar who won silver in the double sculls in Tokyo and has now moved into the single. Germany’s Oliver Zeidler is reigning World and European Champion in the single sculls and won a medal at all three World Rowing Cups last season, what can he do this year? Keep an eye out too for some of the younger scullers who have won medals at U23 and Junior level in recent years including Bulgaria’s Emil Neykov, Denmark’s Bastian Secher and Great Britain’s Callum Dixon.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

With far fewer Tokyo Olympians than the equivalent men’s event, this boat class features a very young line-up with several medalists from last year’s World and European U23 Rowing Championships. The Greek double features multiple U23 medalist Evangelia Anastasiadou who will team up with Dimitra Eleni Kontou, who is just 16 years old. Great Britain’s Emily Craig is one of only two Tokyo Olympians in the field, she will race this time around with Maddie Arlett, who won bronze at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in the lightweight women’s single sculls.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Across the 15 entries, a staggering 13 of the competitors raced in this boat class at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but none of the medalists are included, so the field will be wide open. Jiri Simanek and Miroslav Vrastil from the Czech Republic finished fourth in Tokyo and will be hoping to make the podium this time. The crews from Belgium and Switzerland are also likely to be worth keeping an eye on.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

Six entries from six different nations in the women’s quadruple sculls. China has two members of its gold medal winning quad and Poland has two members of its silver medal winning crew from last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games. The Swiss crew is also one to watch; a young crew, but two of the rowers picked up medals in this boat class at both the World and European U23 Championships last year. It’s a new line-up for Great Britain, so they will be worth keeping an eye on – they are all racing in the double sculls too.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

Eleven boats will line up in the men’s quadruple sculls. The crew from the Netherlands has just one returner from the Olympic gold medal winning boat last year, Abe Wiersma. The Czech Republic will definitely be a crew to keep an eye on; three of the crew won gold in this boat class at both the World and the European Rowing U23 Championships last year. China has two entries, with CHN1 featuring Zhiyu Liu, who has Olympic and World sculling medals to his name. Keep an eye out also for Poland and Switzerland, their crews have plenty of pedigree.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

With three entries in this boat class, the 2 China boats are relatively new line-ups whereas the Netherlands boat has a wealth of experience. Half of the Dutch crew raced at Tokyo 2020, although in different boat classes, so it will certainly be an interesting boat to watch.

Men’s Eight (M8+)

Great Britain and the Netherlands are likely to be the ones to watch in this boat class with plenty of returning Olympians on board. The British crew contains three of their bronze medalists from the men’s eight in Tokyo bolstered by some new faces, including cox Harry Brightmore making his senior debut in this boat class. China and the Netherlands will double up into the men’s four, whereas Great Britain are focusing solely on the eight.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

The Netherlands has two entries and they are likely to be among the ones to watch. NED1, Martine Veldhuis is a strong contender for a medal having won gold in this boat class at World Rowing Cup 3 last year, and also at the 2020 European Rowing Championships. The USA’s Mary Jones is a silver medallist in the lightweight women’s double sculls from 2018, and Spain’s Natalia Miguel Gomez competed at last year’s Coastal Championships, picking up silver in the CMix2x.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

Belgium’s Tibo Vyvey and Bulgaria’s Lazar Penev have to be two of the favourites here, having both won gold medals at lightweight level at last year’s European Rowing U23 Championships – Tibo in the double scull and Lazar in the single scull. Of course, the experienced single scull Rajko Hrvat will also be looking to be on the podium, having taken gold at last year’s World Rowing Cup 3.

PR1 Men’s Single Sculls (PR1 M1x)

The six entries in this boat class include the familiar name of Erik Horrie who took silver for Australia at last year’s Paralympic Games. Benjamin Pritchard of Great Britain and Michel Munoz Malagon of Mexico are also returners from Tokyo and are bound to provide fierce opposition. Great Britain has a second entrant, Callum Russell, who will make his international debut, and is likely to be one to keep an eye on.

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (PR2 Mix2x)

It is Austria versus Mexico in this boat class, with Austria entering the same boat that raced at last year’s Paralympic Games.

PR3 Mixed Coxed Four (PR3 Mix4+)

Great Britain has dominated this boat class in recent years, but has a change of line-up this season with newcomers Francesca Allen and Edward Fuller joining the crew. They will go up against Australia, who has two returners from last year’s Paralympic Regatta.

PR2 Women’s Single Sculls (PR2 W1x)

Reigning Paralympic, World and European in the PR2 mixed double scull, Lauren Rowles from Great Britain will race in the single scull this time around. She will go up against Kathryn Ross from Australia, who is reigning World Champion in this boat class.

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The 2022 World Rowing Cup I takes place 27-29 May 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. The full entry list and schedule can be found on the event page.

Details on how to follow will be published tomorrow (Thursday 26) at www.worldrowing.com.