Rowers to Watch at the 2022 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland

Updated following the Draw on Thursday 7 July 2022.

The third and final World Rowing Cup of the 2022 series kicks off on Lucerne’s Rotsee this Friday. Over 600 rowers will travel to Switzerland from 39 nations. The largest team will be from China, with 70 athletes. Ahead of racing, here are our thoughts on who to watch out for in what is bound to be fierce competition…

Current overall World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

Women’s Pair (W2-)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

Great Britain’s Emily Ford and Esme Booth, who won gold at World Rowing Cup I this season will return in this boat class but are likely to face strong opposition from New Zealand’s Grace Prendergast and Kerri Williams (nee Gowler), who picked up an impressive two medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year. The young Jurkovic twins from Croatia are also likely to be a pair to keep an eye on; they only managed fifth place in Belgrade earlier this season but are reigning World Rowing U23 Champions in this boat class.

Men’s Pair (M2-)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

There are 25 boats entered and a strong field but, in this boat class, it is likely that we will see a re-match from the recent Henley Royal Regatta. Great Britain’s Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Tom George won gold at World Rowing Cup I and New Zealand’s Matt Macdonald and Thomas Mackintosh gold at World Rowing Cup II. In the final of the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup in Henley last week, the Brits led for the majority of the race but the New Zealanders had a faster final sprint and won by 2/3 length. Other crews will be wanting to join in this battle including the silver and bronze medalists from World Rowing Cup I, Spain and Serbia.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

Reigning Olympic Champions Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis from Romania will race in their first international event of the 2022 Season in Lucerne so are certainly a boat to watch out for. Ukrainians Daryna Verkhogliad and Yevheniia Dovhodko won bronze in the quad in Belgrade and will contest the double sculls in Lucerne. China’s Yingying Xu and Shuangmei Shen finished fourth in Poznan and will be hoping to make the podium in Lucerne where they will double-up into the quad also.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Croatia

The men’s double sculls is another bumper boat class with 20 boats racing. Croatia’s Martin and Valent Sinkovic have won gold in this boat class as both World Rowing Cups so far, but can they make it a hat trick? Other boats to look out for include Australia’s Caleb Antill and Jack Cleary, who won bronze in Poznan and Spain’s Aleix Garci Garcia Pujolar and Rodrigo Conde Romero, who won bronze in Belgrade.

Women’s Four (W4-)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Australia & Great Britain

Both Great Britain and Australia had entered their crews that won gold in this boat class in Belgrade and Poznan respectively and were the hot contenders. Unfortunately, Australia has had to withdraw which presents Great Britain with an opportunity to win the series. It will also be worth keeping an eye on both of the China crews; whilst they picked up many medals in Belgrade, they didn’t make the podium in Poznan. Romania has entered a crew full of Tokyo Olympians so will also be worth watching.

Men’s Four (M4-)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

Australia and Great Britain are definitely the boats to watch based on results in the World Rowing Cup Series so far although Great Britain will field a slightly different line-up to their crew that won gold in Belgrade. Romania hasn’t raced in this boat class in either of the first two World Cups but their crew in Lucerne will include three members of their silver medal winning four from last year’s Olympic Games, so certainly a crew to watch out for.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

This boat class was hit hard by withdrawals ahead of the Draw including Reigning Olympic Champion Emma Twigg of New Zealand and Great Britain’s Hannah Scott, who took bronze in this boat class in Belgrade. Switzerland’s Jeanine Gmelin took silver in Poznan and will certainly be hoping to be on the podium again. Watch out also for Diana Dymchenko, the former Ukrainian, now representing Azerbaijan won gold in Lucerne last year and made the semi-final of Henley Royal Regatta last weekend, so will also be a sculler to keep an eye on in Lucerne.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

The men’s single sculls has also unfortunately suffered from several high profile withdrawals in advance of the Draw including Germany’s Oliver Zeidler and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Kjetil Borch from Norway. Tokyo silver medalist Damir Martin of Croatia will still race and other to watch include Great Britain’s Graeme Thomas and France’s Matthieu Androdias, both of whom have won medals in this boat class so far this season.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: China

A strong field of 19 entries will contest this boat class in Lucerne, including all of the medal winners from World Cup I in Belgrade. The field also includes the gold and silver medalists from the Tokyo Olympic Games, Italy’s Federica Cesarini and Valentina Rodini, and France’s Laura Tarantola and Clare Bove. Neither the Italian nor the French crew have raced in the World Rowing Cups so far this season so it will be fascinating to see how they perform against those who already have 2022 Season medals.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Switzerland

This boat class has again attracted a wealth of Olympians. The gold medalists from World Cup II, Benske and Ask Jarl Tjoem from Norway will return to defend their title. France’s Hugo Beurey and Ferdinand Ludwig, who took silver in Poznan, will also return for another shot, and with all of the medal-winning boats from Belgrade returning, it is bound to be a highly competitive boat class.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: China

China will return hoping to defend their gold medal from the previous World Rowing Cup. Switzerland, who took silver in Poznan, have unfortunately had to withdraw. In their absence, Great Britain will also be a boat to keep an eye on with a slightly changed line-up to the one that raced in Belgrade with Kyra Edwards on board. Watch out too for Poland; they haven’t made the podium so far this season, but the crew does include two Olympic silver medalists in this boat class from Tokyo, Marta Wieliczko and Katarzyna Zillmann.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: China

China has won gold in this boat class at both World Rowing Cup I and II this season and with the crew remaining unchanged, can they do it again in Lucerne? The crew from Estonia that took silver in Poznan will also return looking for another medal while Poland has changed its line-up slightly from the previous World Rowing Cups and Miroslaw Zietarski and Fabian Baranski, who have raced in the double scull so far this season, winning two silver medals, will race the quadruple scull. Lithuania took bronze in Belgrade and will certainly be a crew to keep an eye on in Lucerne.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Netherlands

The field is wide open in the women’s eight. There are five crews, all from different nations and Australia is the only crew that has medaled in the World Rowing Cups so far this season. However, the Canadian eight does include three returners from last year’s Olympic gold medal winning crew including cox Kristen Kit. The majority of nations have entered very young crews in this boat class, the Romanian and German crews containing multiple medalists from last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships. The average age of the China crew is under 17 years old.

Men’s Eight (M8+)

Current World Rowing Cup leader: Germany & Great Britain

The winners of World Rowing Cup I (Great Britain) and World Rowing Cup II (Germany) will go head-to-head in Lucerne in what is likely to be the ultimate showdown. They were split by just 0.03 seconds in Lucerne last year. However, they should also keep an eye out for Australia1, who took silver in Poznan. Romania initially had two boats entered, with 12 Olympians among the line-ups, but unfortunately has had to withdraw one boat. Their remaining crew will still be one to watch though. Canada will also be looking for a place the podium, after having had to withdraw their men’s eight in Poznan the morning of the final. As with the Women’s Eight, China is also entering a very young crew in this boat class.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

Sixteen scullers will contest this boat class in Lucerne including the silver and bronze medalists from Poznan – Australia’s Georgia Nesbitt and Germany’s Marie-Louise Drager. Great Britain’s Imogen Grant, who has not raced at either of the previous World Rowing Cups this season, will race the single scull in Lucerne, and is worth watching out for.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

The gold and silver medalists from World Rowing Cup I will be back in action; Belgium’s Tibo Vyvey and Slovenia’s Rajko Hrvat. They will be joined by the bronze medalist from Poznan, Felipe Kluver Ferreira from Uruguay, to race for the medals in Lucerne. Paul O’Donovan, who won gold for Ireland in the lightweight double scull in Tokyo will be racing in the single scull in Lucerne so will also certainly be one to look out for.

Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (LM4x)

With just two crews in this boat class, it will be all to play for between Germany and the Netherlands. The German crew has much more experience on paper, but it will be interesting to see if the Netherlands can match them. 

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