Rowers to watch at the 2022 World Rowing U23 Championships

This year’s World Rowing U23 Championships is being run in parallel with the World Rowing U19 Championships in Varese, Italy. The combined regatta will welcome competitors from 61 nations to compete on the Lago di Varese. Ahead of the championships, we preview the 22 U23 boat classes and consider which boats to keep an eye out for during the six days of racing.

 

U23 Women’s Coxed Four (BW4+)

With just six entries, competition could be tough in this boat class. The young Romanian crew is certainly going to be one to keep an eye on; all four of the rowers won gold at last year’s European Rowing Junior Championships, and three of them also won gold in the four at last year’s World Rowing Junior Championships. They have switched to the coxed four this season and their cox, Victoria-Stefania Petreaunu, also has plenty of experience, having steered crews to medals at both the European and World Rowing Junior Championships last year and is coming to Varese straight on the back of winning bronze in the women’s eight at World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne. Keep an eye too on the boats from Germany and Italy who have plenty of experience, and will be looking to make the podium.

 

U23 Men’s Coxed Four (BM4+)

 Italy is the boat with by far the most experience here. Two of the crew were in the eight at last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships with a third in the four. Simone Pappalepore, who is a bit younger than the others, won gold in the coxed four at both the European and World Rowing Junior Championships last year. The crew will be coxed by Filippo Wiesenfeld, who won gold in this boat class at last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships and will be looking for a repeat. Don’t write-off the German crew, who also has lots of international experience and will look to challenge Italy.

 

U23 Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (BLW1x)

With 22 entries, this is one of the biggest boat classes at the Championships, and the field is packed with talent. Greek sculler Evangelia Anastasiadou will be hoping to go one better than the silver that she won in this boat class last year. Turkey’s Elis Ozbay took gold in the lightweight double scull at both the European and World Rowing U23 Championships last year so it will be interesting to see how she goes in the single scull. Another one to watch will be Phaedra Van der Molen. The Dutch sculler won gold in the double at last year’s World Rowing Junior Championships and silver in the single scull at the European Rowing Junior Championships, so will be looking to make her mark in Varese. Great Britain’s Olivia Bates took silver at the European Rowing U23 Championships last year in the single scull so is also certainly a name to watch.

 

U23 Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (BLM1x)

Similar to the women’s event this boat class is also stacked with experience, so it will be exciting to watch the racing unfold during the course of the regatta. Belgium’s Tibo Vyvey is perhaps the favoruite. After winning bronze at last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships and gold at the European Rowing U23 Championships in the double scull, he has moved into the single scull and already had much success this season, winning gold in World Rowing Cup I and silver at the recent World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne. However, he is likely to see challenges from scullers including Uruguay’s Felipe Kluver Ferreira, who has made the Final at all three World Rowing Cups this season.

 

U23 Lightweight Women’s Pair (BLW2-)

The 2021 gold medalists from Italy are back to defend their title! Maria Zerboni and Samantha Premerl won gold by over six seconds in this boat class at last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships, but what can they do this year? They’ll need to keep an eye on Germany and Turkey. Alessia and Valeria Palacios from Peru made the final last year and finished fifth so will be hoping to make the podium this time around.

 

U23 Lightweight Men’s Pair (BLM2-)

Reigning World U23 Champion in this boat class, Manuel Fernanzez Antri, from Chile is hoping to defend his title in Varese, with new partner 18-year-old Rodrigo Paz. They are likely to face opposition from Hungary and the USA – both crews made the final last year and are unchanged for 2022.

 

U23 Lightweight Women’s Quadruple Sculls (BLW4x)

With just four entries, it will be all to play for in this boat class. On paper, it is Germany and Italy with the most experience with some of each of their crews having picked up medals at both the World and European Rowing U23 Championships last year, but it is definitely not possible to write-off either the USA or France, nations with strong pedigree in lightweight women’s sculling.

 

U23 Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BLM4x)

The crew from Denmark has already shown form this season, winning gold in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls at World Rowing Cup II in Poznan. At the same regatta, three of the Ukrainian crew won silver so they will also be among the challengers in Varese. Two of the German crew won gold in this boat class at last year’s European Rowing U23 Championships so we expect them to be looking for a place on the podium too.

 

U23 Women’s Single Sculls (BW1x)

24 nations have entered this boat class so fierce competition is expected. Germany’s Alexandra Foester is coming straight on the back of World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne where she shocked everyone with an incredible final sprint to take gold. She will face competition from Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Janzen, who won gold at the World Rowing Junior Championships last year, and silver at the Under 23s. Eliz Ozbay of Turkey, mentioned above, will double-up in both the openweight and lightweight single sculls, so is another competitor worth a watch.

 

U23 Men’s Single Sculls (BM1x)

With 27 entries, this is the biggest boat class of the Championships. Emily Neykov of Bulgaria is reigning World Rowing U23 Champion and will be coming to Varese looking to defend his title. He is likely to face opposition from scullers including Great Britain’s Callum Dixon, who has impressed at the World Rowing Cups this season, including a fourth-place finish in Belgrade. Isaiah Harrison of the USA took bronze in the single scull at last year’s World Rowing Junior Championships and boasts multiple world records, so will certainly be worth keeping an eye on.

 

U23 Women’s Pair (BW2-)

There is so much talent in this boat class, it is going to be really interesting to see who makes the final, and then the podium. Australia’s Paige Barr and Jacqueline Swick have won medals in the women’s eight at two of the World Rowing Cups this season, including gold in Lucerne just a couple of weeks ago. They will race in both the pair and the four in Varese. Romania is also doubling up and both Elena-Dina Suta and Estera-Costina-Beatrice Vilceanu had success on the international stage last year. Meanwhile, Evangelia Fragkou, who won sculling medals at both U23 and Junior level at both the World Rowing and European Rowing Championships last year, will join Christina Ioanna Bourmpou in the pair to race in Varese this year so that will be an interesting boat to watch!

 

U23 Men’s Pair (BM2-) 

Lithuania’s Stanukas twins are back to see if they can improve on their silver medal in this boat class from last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships. Domantas and Dovydas have raced together for many years, including at World Rowing Cup I earlier this season. They are likely to face opposition from boats including the Loncaric twins from Croatia. Patrick and Anton finished just one place behind the Stanukas at World Rowing Cup I and won medals at two of the World Rowing Cups last season. Romania is another boat to watch; they will definitely be aiming for a place on the podium in Varese.

 

U23 Women’s Double Sculls (BW2x)

There are 17 entries in this boat class and the field is wide open! The French double of Gaia Chiavini and Jeanne Roche will certainly be a boat to watch; they won silver at the 2021 World Rowing Junior Championships. Keep an eye too on the boats from Switzerland and Canada.

 

U23 Men’s Double Sculls (BM2x)

While there aren’t any of last year’s medalists among the 18 entries in this boat class, there are lots of former junior medalists, who will be hoping to make the step up. Croatia’s Davor Poljancic and Roko Boskovic won bronze at the 2021 European Rowing Junior Championships so we are looking forward to seeing what they can do at the U23 level in Varese. Meanwhile, in 2021, Belgium’s Aaron Andries won silver at the World Rowing Junior Championships and gold at the European Rowing Junior Championships in the single scull. He will join Tristan Vandenbussche this season, so it will be interesting to see how they perform in the double scull.

 

U23 Women’s Four (BW4-)

Another stacked field, with many returners from last year’s U23 Championships. Australia is certainly going to be a crew to watch – as mentioned above, Paige Barr and Jacqueline Swick have already had a successful season at the World Rowing Cups. Three of the crew from the USA won medals at the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships with Francesca Raggi having won gold in the women’s eight and silver in the four. Great Britain won gold in this boat class last year but the crew has just one returner, Lettice Cabot. Poland and Romania will also be worth watching, they all had much success in the sweep boats at the 2021 European Rowing U23 Championships.

 

U23 Men’s Four (BM4-)

The 12 entries in this boat class include a large number of returners from the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships. On paper, Great Britain will be one of the favourites, the crew containing three gold medalists from last year’s Championships – from the men’s eight and pair. Ireland will challenge them though, with three of their crew having won silver in the coxed four last year. The crews from Italy and Romania also have plenty of experience so competition really is going to be tough, just to get a place in the A final.

 

U23 Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (BLW2x)

 The home nation, Italy, has to be one of the favourites in this boat class. Greta Parravicini won silver last year and is joined this year by Elena Sali, who won gold in the lightweight women’s quad. However, they are likely to face tough competition from Poland. Wiktoria Kalinowska won bronze in this boat class in 2021 while Jessika Sobocinska raced in the women’s eight. They have joined forces this season and made the final at all three World Rowing Cups. Keep an eye too on the USA and the young double from Germany.

 

U23 Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (BLM2x)

This boat class will feature the rowers who won silver and bronze medals in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls at the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships, France and Italy respectively. Hungary and Turkey will also be boats to watch, they both picked up lightweight sculling medals at the 2021 European Rowing U23 Championships.

 

U23 Women’s Quadruple Sculls (BW4x)

In an interesting move, three of the Dutch rowers who won silver in the women’s eight at the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships have switched to sculling, and will race in this boat class this year. They will be joined by Lisa Bruijnincx, who won gold in the double scull last year. Competition is likely to come from Poland and Romania and perhaps also the young Italian crew who won medals in this boat class at both the World and European Junior Championships last season.

 

U23 Men’s Quadruple Sculls (BM4x)

With 16 entries, this is going to be a tough boat class. The Czech Republic won an impressive gold medal last year. Daniel Nosek is the only returner from the crew, but is joined by two members of last year’s eight. Two of last year’s silver medalists from Italy will also return, hoping to go one better this year. Poland and Ukraine also both raced at World Rowing Cup II this year, as a warm-up.

 

U23 Women’s Eight (BW8+)

The USA won a comfortable gold medal at last year’s World Rowing U23 Championships and will be looking for a repeat performance in Varese. However, their crew only has one returner, Sophia Hahn. They are likely to face opposition this year from Romania and Germany, their crews include multiple medalists from last year’s U23 Championships. The Netherlands took silver in 2021, but for all except cox Hanne Berendse, it will be the first international experience for this year’s crew.

 

U23 Men’s Eight (BM8+)

 The final of the men’s eight was one of the most exciting races of the 2021 World Rowing U23 Championships when Great Britain came through from third place with a final sprint to beat the USA by 0.21 seconds and Germany by 1.24 seconds. This year’s British crew is completely new apart from cox Scott Cockle, so can they match the performance? The German crew also has no returners and the USA just one. However, Australia, Poland and the Ukraine will also be boats to keep an eye on this year, they have all raced already at World Rowing Cups this season, the Polish crew taking bronze in Poznan.

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